


REWRITE: Tequila Sunrise

by Starwinder042653



Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2020-09-27 08:30:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 75,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20404735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starwinder042653/pseuds/Starwinder042653
Summary: A night of drinking leads to Vin and Ezra waking up with Inez in their bed.





	1. A Rude Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> This is a rewrite. This chapter contains what was chapters 1-3 in the original. I will be trying to keep the chapters around 10,000 words per chapter. The original chapters 1-3 were much shorter.
> 
> I will be trying to post a chapter every week usually on Sunday. I currently have 6 chapters finished and am working on chapter 7. I also have about 4 more chapters that are written but do not follow in order behind these.
> 
> A few words about some of the changes. 
> 
> You will note that I am dating this. When I figured out that I needed to change when the first chapter took place so that Inez didn't end up being pregnant for eleven months, I realized that I could quite easily make the first scene take place on the morning of New Year's Day. I wanted New Year's Day to fall on Sunday so that I didn't have to worry about hunting down and changing every mention of the days of the week through out all that I had already written. 
> 
> It turns out that according to the almanac program that I use. 1871 was the only year between 1865 and 1882 that New Year's Day fell on a Sunday. So, 1871 it is. (I'm not worrying too much about canon, after all I think everyone agrees that the show took place in some kind of time warp what with mentions of Bat Masterson (who didn't become famous until the late 1880's) and weapons that weren't made until around that same time, yet it started with confederate soldiers still roaming around in the desert.)
> 
> One more note: When I throw out information from Ezra's almanac, it comes from the almanac program that I use. I've had this little jewel between 25 and 30 years. It is dead useful for a writer, unfortunately it is no longer available anywhere on the internet. I only still have it because I saved it to external storage many many years ago. It lets you set where you want the information to apply to, (I am using Deming, NM as a close approximation of where Four Corners is.) You can then go to any date all the way back to 01/01/0001 and find out such data as: Sunrise, sunset, moon-rise, moon-set and length of day. It also goes forwards although I don't know how far, I gave up clicking the next year button around the year 4500. (And no, you can't hold the button down and scroll through the years.)

*******

Very early morning  
Sunday, January 1, 1871

*******

"Unnngghhh…." Vin Tanner awoke before dawn as always but this morning he was in no mood to get up. 

His mouth felt like some small furry animal had crawled inside and died and his head felt like it just might explode if he tried to raise it off the pillow it was lying on.

At least the pillow was soft. Felt like one a' Ez's down ones. Bed was soft, too. Must be in Ez's room.

He sighed. He was glad he didn't have patrol and usually not having patrol and waking up with Ez meant they'd be gettin' up ta something soon as Ez woke up, but not this morning. Much as he loved Ez, he wasn't gonna be up to doing anything any time soon. Clearly they had done a little bit too much celebrating of the New Year last night.

He registered the warm body snuggled against him and the head resting on his shoulder.

Sighing again, he reached up to run his fingers through Ezra's hair.

He stroked his fingers through the long hair trailing across his chest.

Long hair? 

Long Hair!

His eyes popped open and he sat bolt upright, dumping the person beside him off his chest and looking around in a panic, his heart beating wildly.

He jumped out of bed, stumbling as a whiskey bottle rolled under his foot, and backed towards the door.

Blinking to clear his vision, he frowned. This was Ezra's room and….

Ezra sat up on the bed, "Vin?" he mumbled without opening his eyes. "Wha's wrong?"

Vin continued to stare at the bed, "Ez? How much did we have to drink last night?"

"Don' kno'. Why?"

"Open yer eyes."

"What?"

"Open yer eyes."

Why?" Ezra asked, his brow furrowing in puzzlement, but still not opening his eyes

"Ezra, just, open yer eyes," Vin repeated in a hoarse whisper.

Ezra opened his eyes and a second later was standing on the other side of the bed staring at it just like Vin was.

"Oh, Lord!" he gasped wide-eyed, "Oh, Dear Lord! Inez!"

"Yeah. Ya reckon that we…?" Vin waved a hand between himself and Ezra, then towards Inez where she lay on the bed.

Ezra glared at him then moved close enough to the bed to lift the covers and peep under them. He groaned then said, "She's naked. You're naked. I'm naked. So, I'd have to say that based on the evidence, yes, it is possible that we did." He frowned and drew in a deep breath, before adding, "There is no musk smell, however, so it is also possible that we did not."

"Is she all right?"

Ezra moved close enough to the bed to brush the hair off Inez's face and hold his hand cupped under her nose.

"She is breathing." He tapped her face lightly. "It seems, however that she is passed out." 

"What're we gonna do?"

"Deal with it," Ezra said a lot more calmly than he felt.

He bent over and picked up an empty bottle of tequila from the floor and set it on the bedside table. Glancing at the dresser he saw his bottle of brandy sitting there and noted that it was almost empty.

Vin picked up the whiskey bottle he'd tripped on and held it up before walking around to set it on the dresser next to the brandy bottle.

"Good Lord," Ezra groaned. "Three bottles of liquor and none of them the same. No wonder we're so befuddled."

"But what're we gonna do?" Vin asked again.

"Right now? Drink as much water as we can stomach and take a couple of Nathan's headache powders to alleviate our hangovers somewhat then go back to bed. We'll deal with the rest when she wakes up. As for what we will do then, we will do whatever the lady requires us to do."

At Vin's despairing look, Ezra stepped closer, "Whatever happened, Vin, we will get through it. I love Inez dearly, but I love you with all my heart, with all that I am. Nothing will ever change that. Now, drink a glass of water while I get the headache powders. You can build up the fire in the stove while I drink my water and take my powder then I'm going back to bed."

"Here?"

"Yes, here. It's my damned bed. You need to come back to bed too."

"What? Why?"

"Unless you are planning to pretend you are not part of this."

"Course not but… "

"Then get in the damned bed, Vin."

Vin stood a long moment watching as Ezra got back into the bed and held out a hand to him.

After a minute he climbed back into the bed and snuggled down, one arm draped across Inez to rest on Ezra's side.

Ezra reached across and lay his hand on Vin's side.

With Inez tucked between them, they went back to sleep. 

*******

Inez moaned softly and pushed against the warm lump lying next to her.

Vin shifted to sit up in the bed, looking over at Ezra. "Think she's wakin' up?"

"Yes," Ezra replied, as he slipped out of the bed and went to get the porcelain basin from the washstand.

"Think she's gonna need that?" 

Ezra snorted, "Oh, yes, indeed. I believe that this may be our dear Inez' first hangover. In which case she will definitely need this."

It was Vin's turn to snort a small chuff of laughter. "Ya seem ta be recoverin' well."

"Experience, darling. There is no substitute for experience and I most likely have far more experience with hangovers than either of you," he said, reminding Vin that before they had gotten together he had drank a lot more than he did now. He gave Vin an appraising look, "You do not seem too badly affected, yourself."

Vin shrugged, "Just cause I don't get drunk often don't mean I can't hold my liquor. Ain't never been one ta have a bad hangover no matter how much I drank."

Ezra smiled at him, "Then you are truly blessed." He slipped back under the covers, sitting up against the headboard on the opposite side of Inez from Vin.

Inez stirred again, moaning. Dios but her head hurt and her stomach…!

Madre de Dios! Such pain in her head, she had never felt before. Her stomach roiled… and her mouth! What on earth had she eaten that tasted that bad. 

Then she remembered. It wasn't what she had eaten. It was what she had drank. 

She groaned, pushing at the warm lump beside her, suddenly desperate to get off the bed before she vomited. She pushed herself up then clamped one hand over her mouth as she heaved.

Instantly, someone shoved a basin under her head, while someone else caught her hair and pulled it back out of her face so that she wouldn't get puke in it.

The bed shifted as she continued to heave. She vomited until tears were running helplessly down her face. After a bit she finally managed to stop.

She was shaking and her arms felt like they were going to collapse. She feared that she would go face first into the basin she had been throwing up in.

Then someone slipped the basin from under her and strong but gentle arms turned her on her back so that she was held in someone's arms. 

A moment later someone wiped her face with a cool damp cloth while the person that held her stroked her hair soothingly and murmured quietly to her.

When she could finally open her eyes, she saw Ezra Standish sitting on the edge of the bed beside her.

He reached up to wipe around her mouth with the damp cloth he held. "There, my dear. Is that better?"

"Si," she replied weakly, blinking at him then turning her head to try and see who was behind her.

Vin Tanner said in his quiet rasp, "Easy, 'Nez, just me. You're all right. We got ya."

It was then that she realized that she was naked… and so were they. Clutching the bed covers she pulled them up to cover her breasts.

Ezra rose and lay the cloth on the bedside table. Pouring water into a glass he handed it to her. "You will want to rinse your mouth."

She did so and he held a small bowl for her to spit in. 

"The water will help with the hangover but sip it slowly or you will need the basin again," Ezra said. 

He rose and took the basin over to the washstand. Sitting it down he opened the window. Pouring some water from the pitcher on the washstand into the basin he swirled it around to loosen the vomit then after checking to make sure that there was no one in the alley below he emptied the basin out the window. He then closed the window most of the way.

Inez couldn't help but stare at him. He moved gracefully and without any sign of embarrassment at his nudity.

Returning to the bed he asked gently, "Would you like to get dressed, darling?"  
Inez ducked her head and nodded embarrassedly, not looking at him.

Ezra reached out and tilted her chin up so that he could see her eyes. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, my dear. You are a lovely and charming lady and yes, we do still very much consider you a lady. We are honored to have had you share our bed. As for why we are still unclad, we thought you might not be as embarrassed to wake up nude with us if you were not the only one."

"He's right, 'Nez. Figured if we's all naked it'd put us on a' more equal footin'. Ya ain't done nothin' wrong. Iff'n there was any wrong done it was us," Vin added.

"Indeed," Ezra said. "So, you just relax and let us take care of you. We can discuss the situation that we find ourselves in when you are feeling better. It that acceptable?"

"Si," Inez replied gratefully.

"Good then." Ezra rose from the bed and quickly stepped into a pair of pants. Turning back to the bed, he tossed Vin his pants.

"If you would, Darling, go downstairs and bring up the kettle off the stove in the kitchen. While you are there stroke the fire and put on some coffee."

Inez stilled at the casually affectionate way that he addressed Vin. She had always known that they were close but-- her mind reeled, as it slowly dawned on her that the two men were far more than friends.

"Sure, Ez." Vin slipped out of the bed and put on his pants and boots, forgoing socks for the moment. His voice was warm and affectionate although he didn't use an endearment.

As he left, Ezra moved his dressing screen next to the washstand so that Inez could have some privacy while she washed up and got dressed. He handed her a dressing gown from his wardrobe and turned his back while she slipped out of bed and into the dressing gown then helped her over to the washstand, where he had placed a chair for her to sit on in case she did not feel up to standing while she washed.

As Inez settled behind the screen, Ezra lay one of his nightshirts over the top edge of the screen, saying, "The best thing for a hangover is to sleep it off. You may wear this. I am going to change the bed for you."

"Oh, Senor Ezra, you do not have to do that. I can go back to my room," she protested. 

"I want to do it, Inez," Ezra said seriously, "unless you truly want to return to your room? I fear that your room will be cold. The fire in your stove has no doubt gone out by now."

Inez shivered slightly. Her room always seemed to be cold at night since winter had set in, even with the small stove that Ezra had bought and insisted that she use. She tilted her head in thought. The stove that Vin had installed and kept her supplied with firewood for.

She sighed. "Si, it will be cold."

"Then it's settled. You will stay here until you are feeling better."

"Oh! The Saloon, who will---?"

"It's Sunday, darling as well as New Year's Day. You can take a holiday."

"But I usually cook breakfast for the seven on Sunday."

"It won't kill any of us to find somewhere else to eat for one day, my dear."

"What will you tell them?"

"Nothing, except that the saloon is closed today. Why is none of their business."

"Thank you, Senor."

"Darlin'," Ezra said with quiet amusement in his voice, “I think that under the circumstances you may call me Ezra."

Inez smiled, "Si, Ezra."

"That's better." 

She could hear him moving around as he stripped the bed.

A moment later there was a tap on the door as Vin announced his return.

"How hot is the kettle?" she heard Ezra ask.

"Just warm. The fire was near ta out in the stove."

"Set it on our stove to heat. I'm going to make Inez some mint tea to settle her stomach and then a cup of willow bark tea for her headache. The water needs to be boiling."

"Need some help with the bed?"

"I would appreciate it. It's always easier, to get the sheets evenly tucked in with two people."

As she listened to the two men working together to make the bed up for her, Inez slowly began to relax. They were so at ease with each other and with her being there. Perhaps this was not the complete disaster that she had feared it was when she had awakened in Ezra's bed with both him and Vin.

She sighed and rested her hand on her stomach. There was still one problem. The reason that she had gotten so very drunk in the first place.

*******

Inez gave a relieved sigh as she realized that there was no stickiness between her legs. Apparently despite having stripped down and gone to bed with them, they had not taken advantage of her drunken state. She smiled to herself. She should have known that they would not. While Vin maintained that he was no gentleman he was in every way that mattered, and Ezra took great pride in being a Southern Gentleman.

She stood and removed the nightshirt from where Ezra had hung it over the dressing screen. She slipped into it, sighing quietly at how soft and smooth it was. 

It was nicer than any nightgown that she owned and fancier as well. There were neat, small pleats across the front and back, making it full so that it flowed loosely around her. Each pleat had embroidery on it, vines with small flowers. The long sleeves were slightly belled with the same design embroidered around the hems of the sleeves.

As she stepped out from behind the screen, both Vin and Ezra turned to her.

Ezra moved to her, offering his arm as Vin said, "Bed ain't quite ready, 'Nez."

"Why don't you sit here in the rocker while we finish making the bed," Ezra suggested.

"Really, senors, you do not have to go to all this trouble for me," Inez protested.

"Ain't no trouble," Vin assured her.

"Indeed not," Ezra agreed. "We would have had to remake the bed this morning in any event."

He guided her to the rocker then went to prepare her cup of mint tea bringing it to her before returning to help Vin finish making the bed.

As she sipped the tea and watched them finish up, she unconsciously rested her hand on her stomach again.

She didn't notice the two men exchanging looks as she did so.

When they finished making the bed, the two men sat on the edge of it and looked at her for a long moment.

Finally Ezra asked, "Are you quite all right, Inez?"

"Si, I feel much better, Senor."

"Ya sure?" Vin asked. 

She frowned, "Si. I am sure."

Ezra cocked his head at her, his gaze dropping to her hand where it rested on her stomach before returning to her face as he asked, "Is there perhaps something that you wish to tell us?"

Inez looked up at him, fearfully, "What, senor?"

The two men shared a look again before Ezra said gently, "You do not normally indulge in alcoholic beverages. Yet last night you became more than just a little inebriated. This morning you have repeatedly rested your hand on your stomach, a gesture common to women who are with child. We were simply wondering if perhaps your unusual indulgence in alcohol last evening might be due to your finding yourself in a family way."

She stared at him for a long moment then dropped her gaze, guiltily, "Si. I am with child."

"I'm gonna kill Bucklin!" Vin snarled.

Vin's outburst startled a laugh out of Inez.

She shook her head, immediately regretting it and moving a hand up to hold her head as it suddenly felt as if it were going to fall off, before saying quietly but sharply, "No! Senor Vin, I was never so foolish as to allow Senor Wilmington to bed me. He will never change, and I do not wish to spend the rest of my life wondering whose bed he is in when he is not in mine."

"Who then? Ya just say the name and we'll go get him," Vin vowed.

"It is too late for that. You would never catch him," Inez said sadly. Then she raised her head and said adamantly, "and I would not marry him if you did."

Ezra frowned then his eyes widened in surprise. "Lord Summerland?" he demanded.  
Inez looked at him a long moment, wondering how he had guessed. 

"Si. How did you know?"

"He courted you quite ardently while he was here. He left suddenly. He has been gone about a month and a half. I am guessing that you have just missed your second monthly?"

"Si."

"He was on his way to San Francisco, with plans to sail for China. He has no doubt already set sail, in which case it would be impossible to catch up with him and return him here to marry you before the child is born. Since you have said that you would not marry him even if we did return him to you, I assume that his sudden departure was on the heels of your refusal to marry him."

"Si… and no. He did ask me to marry him and I accepted." She rose from the chair and began to pace, gesturing as she began to rant. "Then he told me that I would have to give up my job and go with him to the Orient. He tells men that no English gentleman would ever allow his wife to work! That I would have to learn to be a *proper* wife." 

She switched to rapid fire Spanish. "I would have to wear those terrible dresses with the high collars and long sleeves and dozens of buttons and a corset and petticoats and high top shoes and put my hair up every day! Everyday!" 

"You get alla that?" Vin asked, looking at Ezra.

"Most of it. Did you?"

"Too fast fer me."

"Then when I told him that I wanted to own this saloon someday, he laughed. He laughed! He said that no married woman could own anything in her own name that all her property belonged to her husband! Then *I* told him that if I could not own my own business as a married woman that I would never be a married woman!" 

She turned to face them flinging her hair back with a flick of her head then staggering as the motion made her dizzy. 

Both men sprang up to catch her and guide her back to the rocking chair.

Ezra grabbed the basin again as she blanched and started to heave.

As Inez heaved into the basin, Vin quietly asked Ezra, "I got that he laughed at her. What about?"

"Ah, well the grist of it was that the idiot tried to tell her that he wasn't going to allow her to do what she wanted. Specifically that she could not ever own her own saloon. Therefore she sent him packing."

"Moron."

"Indeed."

Inez finally quit heaving.

Ezra rose and prepared her another cup of the mint tea bringing it to her. He would wait and see if she kept that down before fixing the willow bark tea. Sitting back down he asked quietly, "What do you intend to do now?"

Inez sighed. "I do not know. He is gone and I truly do not want him back… but I simply do not know what to do now."

"Do you want the child?"

"What do you mean? I am going to have a child whether I want it or not."

"I mean, my dear, that if you are less than two months along there are ways to end the pregnancy."

She gaped at him. "That would be murder!" 

"Inez, my dear," Ezra soothed, "I was only asking. I had hoped you would not wish to do so, but it is a logical question. Now, that it is settled that you shall be keeping the child, there is the question of how do you plan to be able to take care of him or her."

"I will find a way!"

"I am sure that you will, Inez," Ezra soothed again. "However it is always better to have a plan than to not have one. At some point in your pregnancy you will become unable to continue running the saloon. It will simply be too stressful. You need to make plans now to be able to afford to stop working for the period of time necessary."

"Ya ain't in this alone, 'Nez, me'n Ez'll help ya."

"Indeed we will. I believe that you mentioned that you wish to buy the saloon. Doing so will allow you to continue to have income even when you, yourself cannot run the saloon."

"I do not have enough money to buy it outright and the bank will not give a woman a business loan. That man said that women are not good risks for business loans!" Inez said, bitterly.

"How much money have you managed to save?" Ezra asked.

"I have just over six hundred dollars… but the owners are asking three thousand dollars for the saloon and all its contents," Inez replied. 

"I got just over two hundred," Vin stated, clearly understanding what Ezra was thinking.

"And I have just over two thousand dollars," Ezra grinned. "We only need two hundred more."

"I could not accept---"

"Reckon Ez is thinkin' a partnership," Vin put in quietly.

"Indeed. You would have controlling interest, my dear, a full fifty-two percent. Mister Tanner and I would each have twenty-four percent."

"But you are putting up most of the money."

"But money is all I am putting up, my dear. I have learned my limitations. I am no bartender, waiter or cook. You are all of that and an excellent manager as well. My only contribution will be the money and perhaps doing the books. Mister Tanner's contribution will be for the lessor amount of money that he will be putting up and doing the manual labor required to keep the saloon running. Such as cutting firewood for the stoves and stacking it as well as hunting to put meat in the stew pot for the meals that you serve."

"Other words: what I do now, plus any heavy lifting since ya ain't gonna be needing to do that while yer carrying that baby around," Vin said firmly.

Turning to Ezra he added. "Ya know 'bout that poker tournament over ta Bitter Creek, don'tcha? Thousand dollar buy in. Hear tell they're expecting a couple a' dozen gamblers to show up."

"Tournament rules is winner takes all," Ezra said thoughtfully. "Still, if there are twenty-four players, I could, should I win, come back with twenty-four thousand dollars. That would definitely set us up very well. Even if only five or ten gamblers show up that is between five and ten thousand, which is a quite respectable sum."

He stared off into space for a long moment. "The tournament is still a month and a half away. I could take a short tour of the larger towns around here, see how much I can win before then. I would only need twelve hundred dollars to have enough to buy the saloon and be able to enter the poker tournament. If I don't win enough to enter the poker tournament and buy the saloon, we shall simply use the money to buy the saloon and have some cash to the side. If I do win enough to enter the tournament, then I will enter. If I lose it we still have the saloon but if I win... we'll be set for a long time."

"Well, whadda ya say, 'Nez? Ya wanna be partners with us?"

"I don't know what to say…."

Ezra rose and took the empty cup from Inez and filled it with the willow bark tea, adding honey to sweeten it. As he moved around he said, "With fifty-two percent, you would have controlling interest. All the benefits of owning the saloon by yourself without having to put up all the money to buy it."

"I don't know. I do not quite understand why you would want to put money into it if you do not have any say in the running of it."

"For the same reason as the current owners, my dear, the money," Ezra explained. "The saloon has turned a profit every month since you began managing it. It will no doubt continue to do so, giving Vin and myself a regular income, aside from our pay as regulators. If we are thrifty we can save up money against the inevitable day that the town no longer needs seven regulators. For every dollar in profit that the saloon makes, that is for every dollar that is left after operating expenses are met, you will get fifty-two cents. Mister Tanner will get twenty-four cents and I will get twenty-four cents."

Inez thought about the offer. "I see how it will work, now," she said. "Now, when I do the books, after I have paid all the expenses, I deposit the money in the account for the owners. But once we buy the saloon, after I pay the expenses I will divide the money between the three of us."

"Exactly. You may deposit your share in the bank or keep it as you choose."

"I do not like the man at the bank. He made me quite angry when he would not loan me the money to buy the saloon," Inez said.

"Then if I should win the poker tournament, our first purchase will be a safe for the saloon where we can keep our money secure without need to use the bank," Ezra said firmly.

"Good," Inez said.

"Then it is decided. We three shall buy the saloon together," Ezra said, firmly.

"Si," Inez agreed.

"Yeah," Vin said.

"Excellent, I'll draw up the partnership agreement and have it ready for all our signatures as soon as we have the money in hand to buy the saloon outright."

Ezra rose and offered Inez his hand. "Now, dear lady, you need to get some more sleep. That noxious potion of Mister Jackson's should be making you sleepy by now."

"It was not so bad, senor."

"Yes, well I added honey to it, something that Mister Jackson does not approve of," Ezra said with a grin.

As Ezra guided Inez back to the bed, Vin stood and turned it down for her. They tucked her in then turned the lamp down and left her to rest.

*******

After he and Vin gathered up their weapons and the clothes that they were going to wear that day, they slipped out the door leaving Inez to recover from her hangover. Quietly making their way down the stairs they retired to the saloon's kitchen to wash up and get dressed for the day.

As they dressed Ezra began to smile. 

Vin gave him a curious look. "What're ya grinning about?"

"It seems that we are to embark upon a new chapter in our lives. I was just thinking how appropriate that it should begin today. New Year's Day is considered to be the absolute best day of the year to embark on a new endeavor. Also Sunday is a holy day and therefore an auspicious day as well." 

"Yer thinkin' that good things will come from this?"

"Yes. Today, being both the first day of the year and a holy day is doubly favorable for us. I feel in my bones that the gods are smiling. Good things will come of this."

"Good. We're due some good luck," Vin said with a sigh. 

When they had finished dressing, Ezra asked Vin what he'd like for breakfast. Since Vin had lit the stove when he came downstairs to get the hot water for Inez to wash up in and for Ezra to make her both the mint tea to settle her stomach and the willow bark tea to help with her headache, the stove was hot enough to cook on.

"If yer cookin' I want flapjacks," Vin said with a grin.

"Flapjacks it is," Ezra said reaching for a bowl to mix the batter in. "Scrambled eggs and bacon as well I presume?"

"Yeah and some biscuits."

Ezra chuckled, shaking his head. When he had the first of the flapjacks on the griddle, he left Vin to watch and turn them while he made the biscuit dough.

As he was putting the biscuits in the oven, there was a light knock on the back door.

Vin stepped away from the stove top just long enough to push the door open and say, "Get on in here, Cowboy, fore ya turn into an ice cycle," before turning back to drop some more flapjacks on the griddle.

He could cook the dang things just fine, he just never seemed to get the batter right. Ezra, on the other hand, could mix the batter perfectly but hated standing over the hot stove to cook the flapjacks, especially when cooking enough to satisfy Vin.

Chris stepped in through the back door, moving close to the stove but staying out of Vin's way. He rubbed his hands together to warm them and looked around. "Thought Inez was in here. She usually has coffee ready when I drop by."

"There is coffee Mister Larabee, but I warn you, Mister Tanner made it. Miss Rocillos will not be cooking today."

"She alright?" Chris asked.

"Just a bit under the weather," Ezra said blandly. "There are biscuits in the oven, and I am about to make eggs and sausage to go with the flapjacks for Mister Tanner. If you would like some, speak now or forever hold your peace."

"Yes, Mister Standish, if you are cooking," Chris said with a grin, sweeping his hat off and holding it in front of him, "Please may I have some eggs and sausage. In fact I wouldn't mind a few of those flapjacks as well."

Ezra laughed. It was rare to catch Chris in a playful mood and he was glad to see it.

"Better fix another bowl of batter," Vin said, "This'n most empty."

"And you've already eaten half the flapjacks that you cooked," Ezra said with a sigh, watching Vin chewing on a flapjack that he had rolled into a tube and was eating plain. Shaking his head, he reached for the bowl again. It wouldn't kill them for him to mix the new batch in the same bowl.

After he mixed the flapjack batter then handed it off to Vin to cook, he put the sausages in one pan and began scrambling the eggs in another. It only took a few minutes and by the time they were ready the biscuits were ready to come out of the oven. 

As Vin and Ezra worked, Chris got down plates and silverware for them and set places at the kitchen table for them to eat. 

Once everything was done and they had sat down to eat. Ezra made the rounds, tipping a bit of the liquor in his flask in each of their coffee cups. 

"Thanks, Ez," Chris said. "I've already drank a cup of Nathan's stinky tea but a little 'hair of the dog' is mighty welcome."

Ezra chuckled. "Indeed it is," he said adding, "The entire town seems to be a bit slow awakening this morning."

Chris flashed him a grin, "I think at least three-fourth of the men in town are hungover. That was some party you threw last night."

Ezra grinned back at him, "It was. The saloon did a booming business. Too bad I don't still own it."

"It is," Chris agreed. 

Vin studied him for a long moment then said, "Ez? Ya think maybe we could tell Chris. Ya know he don't gossip."

"The story is not ours ta tell."

"But he's the only one's got any experience with this sorta thing, 'less you do?"

"Good Lord, no! I have never been in this situation before."

"Hold on, Vin. Just exactly what are you painting me as an expert on?" Chris asked.

"Didn't say ya was an expert. It's just ya were married so ya gotta know more about ya know, women things, than we do." 

"Women things?" Chris asked drily. "Exactly what is wrong with Inez?"

"Technically there is nothing wrong with her," Ezra hedged.

"Vin?" Chris turned to his best friend.

"She's carryin'."

"Carrying?" Chris queried then his eyes widened, "a baby?"

"Yes, Mister Larabee, Miss Rocillos is with child. And before you ask, no it is not mine. Nor is it Mister Tanner's. Hell, it is not even Mister Wilmington's. The father is long gone, helped along no doubt by the business end of Miss Rocillos' shotgun," Ezra informed him.

"How did I miss all this?" Chris demanded.

"Seems ta have happened during that month you an' Bucklin spent escorting the judge on his circuit on account of the threats he was getting'," Vin told him. "Reckon the rest of us didn't notice what was goin' on 'cause we was run ragged with every horse thief, rustler and bank robber in the territory decidin' that with ya two gone the town was wide open."

"What're you two planning to do about this? Because I know you've got something in mind," Chris said. 

"We considered the idea of one of us offering to marry her, but she has declared her intention of never marrying any man, so that option is out." 

At Chris' raised eyebrow, Ezra elaborated, "Apparently, the child's father asked her to marry him then after she had said yes, told her all the things that she would not be allowed to do once they were married. He laughed when she told him that she intended to buy this saloon and helpfully informed her that under current law a married woman cannot own property in her own name. That in fact should she own property before she married that when she married her property became her husband's property since legally a wife is her husband's property."

Chris nearly choked on his eggs. After he got his breath back, he said, "I can just imagine how that went over."

"Indeed, which is why I, personally, believe his hasty departure from our dusty, little town may have involved the business end of the shotgun that she keeps under the bar."

Chris snorted, "Oh, yeah. I bet it did. So, what are you two planning."

"Like Ezra said, Inez wants ta buy the saloon but the fella over ta the bank won't loan her the money. Idiot says women ain't got no head for business," Vin said.

"Despite the fact that it was a woman, my Mother, who bought this saloon after she ran me out of business and a woman, Miss Rocillos, that turned it into a profitable business. A business profitable enough that Mother was able to sell it at a profit and the new owners are now looking to do the same," Ezra added.

"How much money does she need?"

"She has managed to save six-hundred dollars in the last year. Quite remarkable really. Unfortunately, the asking price for the saloon, lock, stock and barrel is three-thousand dollars. It will most likely be impossible that she will be able to save the rest in the time she has before she will be unable to continue working. Therefore, we proposed a partnership, as Mister Tanner and I are both concerned for her. We each offered her the money we have saved, leaving us only two-hundred dollars short."

"That's why I thought that we should tell you. Ain't asking ya ta put up any money, just let me'n Ez have time off so's he can find better payin' games than here ta get up the rest of the money."

"Shouldn't be a problem. Travis is bringing some papers when he comes in this week that he needs delivered over to Red Bluff. I can assign you two to take them and you can take a couple of days there."

Vin and Ezra exchanged glances. 

"We are going to need more than a couple of days in Red Bluff to win the amount of money that we need," Ezra said. "While we only need two-hundred dollars to pay for the saloon, there will be operating expenses and we want to have enough money to support the three of us should the town respond badly when they learn of Miss Rocillos' condition. Therefore, I intend to participate in the poker tournament in Bitter Creek planned for Valentine's Day next month. I will need a thousand-dollar stake. Therefore, I will need to be away more than just a day here and there."

"I don't know if I can let you two be gone that much. You know how hard it was on the five of you when Buck and I were escorting the judge and that was part of the job," Chris said seriously.

Vin scowled at him. "Ya can be two men down fer a couple of months or so or ya can be two men down permanent like! We ain't lettin' Inez down! We're gonna do this. We can do it with yer help or ya can go hang and we'll quit an' do it on our own!"

"It's that important to you, Cowboy?"

"Yeah," Vin said.

Chris looked over at Ezra. "You, too?"

"Yes," Ezra said simply.

Chris ran a hand through his hair. "Damn. Well, I'd rather lose you for a month or two than permanently. Doesn't seem like I have a lot of choice here."

"Best games'll be at the weekends, won't they Ez?" Vin asked.

"Yes," Ezra said giving him a puzzled look.

"How about this. I do the out of town patrol, mornin' and afternoon Monday ta Wednesday. Ez does the in town patrols, mornin' and afternoon, Monday ta Wednesday. We both do mornin' patrols Thursday. We head out right after lunch on Thursday. That should give us 'nough travel time ta get ta places as far away as Ridge City and Bristol an Ez still have time ta get him a nap before hitting the tables Friday night. Ez can sleep most of the day Saturday, play Saturday night and we'll head home Sunday. That gives him two nights of play and we should still be back in time for mornin' patrol on Monday."

"You won't be getting much sleep," Chris said with a frown.

"Ain't never needed a whole lotta sleep. Ez don't either. Y'all just think he sleeps a lot cause ya go to bed way a'fore he does. Lotta nights he's up til dawn at the tables. Sleeps till near noon then he's up and going till way after midnight again. Most nights 'specially, on the weekends, he don't get more'n four or five hours sleep tops." 

Ezra nodded, "And it will only be for a couple of months. Besides, both of us can sleep in the saddle. We can swap off. I'll sleep and Vin will lead Chaucer then he'll sleep, and I'll lead Peso."

"If that mule-headed horse of his will let you lead it."

Ezra laughed. "You just don't know how to deal with Peso, Mister Larabee. Yelling at him or threatening him doesn't work, that only makes him more ornery. On the other hand he'll follow me anywhere for an apple or two…" he trailed off, grinning. 

"Yer spoiling my horse as bad as ya do yers," Vin teased with a smile.

"It works," Ezra shrugged.

"Alright if you two are sure that you can handle double patrols on the days that you are here, I'll work the schedule out with the others so that you can have half the week off. I can cancel the out of town patrols from Thursday afternoon through Monday morning. That'll keep us from getting stretched too thin and give you more time to make it back to town without worrying about the Monday morning patrol. Travis is due in town on Wednesday. I'll have time to run this by him before you want to leave on Thursday."

Vin and Ezra exchanged looks then, Ezra said, "If you think that it might improve the odds of him approving the idea, you may tell him that we will be willing to forgo our pay for the days we are gone and accept only half a day's pay for Thursday."

"If he seems hesitant, I'll mention it. Anything else?"

They exchanged looks again, making Chris shake his head.

Then Vin said, "We'd feel a whole lot better iff'n whilst we're gone, somebody could keep an eye  
on 'Nez. Somebody that knows that she's… ya know."

"You cannot, of course, be obvious about it," Ezra added, "She is quite independent and would be rather upset if she were aware that we felt that she needed a keeper so to speak."

"Upset?" Chris chuffed, "More like she'd get that shotgun of hers after the two of you."

"Well," Ezra said, "there is that."

*******

Inez turned over and groaned softly. Madre Dios but she still felt awful. Thankfully, however, her head no longer felt like it might explode and just the thought of food no longer made her gag. In fact she was rather hungry.

She sighed as she listened to the quiet sounds coming from the saloon below. Clearly at least Vin and Ezra were downstairs.

A sudden burst of laughter that she recognized as Buck's told her that they weren't alone. All noise ceased abruptly as if someone had scolded Buck for making too much noise. She smiled as she wondered which one of her new protectors had done so. Both Vin and Ezra could be fierce when they had taken someone under their protection. Ezra was usually protective of the town's children, while Vin tended to be more protective of the town's elderly citizens and not just the female ones

Both of them were also generally polite to all women from the most proper townswoman, to the most boisterous saloon girl, to any native girl, on the rare occasion that one of the tribeswomen came into town. Actually Ezra tended to be more polite and differential to the saloon girls and other lessor women of the town than to the prim and proper ladies.

She lay her hand on her stomach, smiling. Either of them would make a good husband and a good father.

She shook her head. No. They loved each other more than they could ever love her, and she had decided that she was not going to marry, not when doing so meant giving up her dream of being a businesswoman.

No, they had made it clear that they were willing to help her while allowing her to remain independent. They had not put conditions on the partnership, going so far as to say that she would be the majority owner of the saloon, when they bought it.

Unless they had changed their minds.

The thought galvanized her into action. She had to get up! She needed to talk to them when she was not as befuddled as she had been this morning! 

She forced herself to get out of the bed and across the room to the door. She opened the door a crack and peeped out, sighing in relief that there was no one in the hall, she quickly crossed the hall to her own room.

She sighed again when she realized that they had re-started the fire in her stove and her room was warm. Despite the town being in the desert it was also at the foothills of the mountains. At this time of year icy winds blew down from the heights.

Soon she was dressed for the day and slipped out into the hall carefully making her way to the stairs.

She had barely stepped down onto the first step before Ezra appeared at the bottom of the stairs. 

"I told y'all that you were going to wake her up!" he quietly scolded the rest of the seven.

The others were gathered around one of the tables that was laden with a large cookpot in the center and plates of food before each of them.

There were murmurs of apologies from all but Vin who was also giving the others a chastising look.

"Ya feelin' better, 'Nez?" Vin queried, as Ezra rushed up the stairs to her and offered her his arm.

She took it gratefully, "Si, Senor Vin. I am much better." She looked around at the others. "I was not expecting…" she trailed off.

"When Mister Larabee dropped by to get his morning coffee and discovered that you were not feeling well," Ezra explained quietly, "he offered to make his chicken and dumplings for us all. I used part of the broth from the chicken to make a simple chicken soup with celery, garlic and onions for you, as I was not sure that your stomach could handle something as rich as the dumpling soup." 

He guided her to the table and Vin grabbed a chair from the next table over while everyone else scooted their chairs around to make room for the chair.

She noted that Vin placed her chair between his own and the empty chair that was clearly Ezra's.

When she was seated, Ezra hurried off to the kitchen, obviously going to bring her some of the soup he had made. She decided that she would have to eat it no matter how it tasted. She hoped that it would not be too bad, but she had never known Ezra to cook anything other than eggs, bacon and occasionally flapjacks.

As soon as he set the bowl in front of her, her eyes widened in surprise. "This smells wonderful," she said, "I did not know that you could cook such."

"I assure you," Ezra said with a self-depreciating smile, as he set a plate of biscuits down beside her bowl of soup. "I learned in self-defense. Mother is a wonderful businesswoman, but she cannot boil water without burning the pot. It was learn to cook or starve." 

He smiled at her, "The biscuits are not nearly as good as yours, but they are at least not hard enough to use as cannonballs like Mister Tanner's." He smirked at Vin as he said the last.

Buck snorted, "Good ta know that his biscuits are good for something, you sure can't eat them. I thought I broke a tooth last time he made biscuits on the trail."

"My biscuits taste fine," Vin protested, "Ya just have ta soak'em a bit."

"A bit?" Chris teased, "More like a day or two."

Vin glared angrily at his best friend.

"Vin," Ezra said softly, "you're not the only one of us that cannot make a biscuit. Both Nathan and Josiah's biscuits are completely inedible. However, Josiah makes the best chili that I have ever eaten, and Nathan is a deft hand with seasonings, knowing just what herbs to add to make anything taste better. When we catch fish to eat you are the one that we want frying them, because try as we may, none of us can make them taste as good as you do."

He sat down beside Inez and reached for the dipper in the pot of chicken and dumplings, "And I think that we can all agree that chicken and dumplings are Mister Larabee's forte. We certainly seem to have put a dent in this pot of them."

"Thanks, Ez," Chris said then looking over at Inez, said, "Vin and Ezra tell me that the three of you are planning to buy the saloon. Something about a partnership between the three of you?"

She looked uncertainly at Ezra then Vin before, saying, "Si. I am not certain exactly what was decided. I was not feeling well this morning when we were discussing it."

"It's quite simple, Miss Rocillos will hold fifty-two percent interest. Mister Tanner and I will share the remainder, holding twenty-four percent each."

"That gives her more than twice as much interest in the saloon as the two of you. I thought you said that you were putting up most of the money?" Chris said.

"I am. I shall be putting up twenty-two-hundred dollars versus Inez's six-hundred and Vin's two hundred, but money is all that I am putting up. Inez will run and manage the saloon as she has for the last year. Vin will continue to hunt to provide her with meat for the meals that she serves, and he will continue to cut and haul the firewood for the stoves as well as doing any other heavy lifting as required. All I will be contributing aside from the money is to check over the books monthly and help with the inventory. What they are contributing will have much more impact on the success or failure of the business than what I am contributing."

"So, what are you getting out of it?" Nathan demanded, suspiciously. "Cause I know yer getting something out of it or you wouldn't be putting up yer money."

"I get all the benefits of owning the saloon with none of the work. Also, since as an owner I won't be paying for my room or the meals that I eat here, the money that Judge Travis currently pays for that will go into my pocket." 

He turned to Vin, "I suggest that you give up your room at the boarding house and take one upstairs. That way your room and board will go into your pocket as well. Inez won't be affected in that way as she already lives here, eating and sleeping in the saloon as part of her manager's position."

Vin frowned, "How much difference will that make?"

"Twenty-cents a day allowance for a room plus ten-cents per meal, times three meals a day allowance for board, is fifty-cents a day extra. So, for three-hundred-sixty-four days a year, that is one-hundred-eighty-two dollars per year. Boosting our total for the year from three-hundred-sixty-four dollars to five-hundred-forty-six dollars," Ezra informed him without hesitation.

Vin snorted, "And that's why he's doing the books. I'd've never figured that out."

"Si," Inez agreed. "I could have calculated it, but I would need a pencil and paper and much time." 

She turned to Ezra, "You will be doing the books," she told him firmly. "It takes me an entire hour every night and two or three hours at the end of each month. You can do the nightly paperwork while Vin and I close down and clean up. You already check my work at the end of the month, you can simply take that over completely."

"I shall add it to the list and make sure that I set aside enough time for all the books I do," Ezra said.

"All the books you do?" Josiah asked.

"Ez does the books fer a bunch of folks," Vin told them a hint of pride in his voice.

"That right?" Nathan asked, with a frown. 

"Yes, that is correct.

"Who all do you do them for?" Josiah asked.

"I do the books for Mrs. Potter's store and Bucklin's General Store, as well as both the blacksmith's shop and the livery. I also occasionally audit the newspaper books for Mrs. Travis when she cannot get them to balance."

"And they trust you to do their books?" Nathan asked, clearly unhappy about what he was hearing.

"Yes, Mister Jackson, they trust me to do their books," Ezra said tiredly. 

He looked over at Vin and raised an eyebrow. 

Vin nodded back at him, then said, "Fellas we'd appreciate it iff'n ya'd keep this under your hats till we say. Partnership agreement ain't signed yet and we still need a couple of hundred dollars ta have the money for the saloon."

"Which brings up the request that you two made," Chris said. "Since we're all here, reckon now is as good a time as any to bring it up with the others," turning to the other four he said, "Vin and Ezra have asked for some time off so that they can travel to some of the bigger towns and Ezra can find games that will let him win the rest of the money that they need to buy the saloon. They'll be leaving on Thursday afternoon and coming back Monday morning."

"That's half the week!" Nathan protested.

"And it's the weekend. That's when all the ranch hands are in town!" Buck added.

"How long is this going to be going on?" Josiah demanded. 

As the other members of the seven protested against Vin and Ezra being allowed the time off, Inez shrank back in her chair. She hadn't even thought about what the others might have to say.

Vin stuck two fingers his mouth and gave a shrill whistle, "Shut up!" he snapped. "I done told Chris, now I'm tellin' y'all. This is important ta us. We kin take half the week off or we can just walk away completely. So, ya just decide iff'n ya want us to stay seven or if ya want to be five from now on!" 

"You'd quit over this?" JD asked in dismay, "but… but we're the seven!"

"This town is not going to need seven peacekeepers for much longer, Mister Dunne," Ezra informed him. "You will no doubt stay on as sheriff. Mister Larabee has his… cabin and his thoughts of ranching again. Mister Wilmington is tied to him by friendship and as a former partner in the previous ranch. Mister Sanchez has his church and Mister Jackson his healer's practice. Mister Tanner and I, however, have nothing holding us here… except our association with you five. If you cannot support our efforts to put down roots, to have another reason to stay beyond that association then why should we stay?"

"We ain't gotta buy this saloon," Vin put in, "we can find another town, another saloon. Won't be the same as being here with y'all, but like Ez said, iff'n y'all ain't willing ta support us, why stay?"

In the silence that followed, Inez stared at Vin in dismay, then turned to look at Ezra. Both looked completely serene as if they hadn't just thrown a bombshell into the conversation.

She had never considered leaving.

"I'll be talking to Travis about the arrangement when he comes into town, Wednesday," Chris said, "but I've already told Vin and Ezra that they can take this weekend. Travis is bringing some paperwork that needs to be in Red Bluff by Friday afternoon. They'll be the ones taking it and I've given them until Monday noon to get back. Also, I'm canceling the out of town patrols starting with the Thursday afternoon patrol and running through the Monday morning patrol. Vin and Ezra have agreed to take the morning and afternoon patrols in town and out of town starting tomorrow and running through Thursday morning. They will be paid for the days this weekend since they will be delivering paperwork for the Judge. However, they have agreed that when they are traveling entirely for the purpose of gambling, they will forgo pay for the days that they are gone."

"We're still gonna be stretched kinda thin," Nathan grumbled.

"Ya won't be stretched all that thin with Chris cancelling the out of town patrols, Nate," Vin told him flatly. "Ain't like it's summer with the trail herds an' all. The ranches round here have let half their hands go for the winter. Sides, it ain't like yer always available when we need ta ride out. Me and Ez has got as much right ta have time for stuff we want ta do as ya do."

"What I'm doing is helping people!" Nathan snapped.

"And ya get paid for it! Ya want to start skippin' getting' paid fer peacekeepin' when yer busy with yer healing when we need ya ta ride out with us an' ya say ya can't cause ya got better things ta do?"

"Helpin' people is better'n---" Nathan broke off not sure how to finish.

"Better'n what? Better'n being there fer one a us, if we get shot up chasing outlaws or bank robbers or rustlers? It's just pure luck ain't none of us got kilt while ya was takin' care of more important people than us!" Vin snarled.

"That ain't what I meant!" Nathan protested. "It's just that what y'all are wantin' off for… it's different! It ain't like being in the middle of deliverin' a baby or settin' a leg or tendin' somebody that's sick."

Vin scowled at him, until Ezra said quietly, "Vin."

Vin turned to him and Ezra continued, "Mister Jackson and indeed all of our compatriots are accustomed to our not having anything other than our peacekeeping duties to require our attention. Many people find change hard to accept. Give him time to adjust to the change and he will most likely come to realize that it is unfair to expect us to always be available when every other member of our group has other things that they put before their peacekeeping duties. In the meantime, it is not his opinion that will decide this matter. Mister Larabee is our leader. Judge Travis is our employer. They will decide whether or not to grant our request. We will fulfill the agreement that we have made with Mister Larabee concerning this weekend. Should he and Judge Travis decide not to extend the agreement beyond that, then we will hand in our resignations and proceed as planned."

He pushed back his chair and rose, turning to Inez he said quietly, "May I escort you back upstairs, Miss Rocillos?"

"Si, senor, if you would be so kind." She started to push back her chair, but Vin was already there, pulling it back as she stood.

Ezra offered his arm and she took it, allowing him to lead her to the steps and up with Vin following them.

The other five stared after them as they disappeared up the stairs.

Finally Buck said, "What the heck is going on between those two and Inez? Ain't never seen them act like that around any woman. All protective and… ya know…"

"Possessive?" Chris asked.

"Yeah. Do you know what's going on?"

"Not entirely but might be that you should back off a bit around Inez, before you get a hand shot off," Chris said with a grin.

"Dammit! Don't you be telling me that that dang smooth-talking gambler's done cut in on my woman."

"Inez ain't your woman, Buck. Never has been and I don't reckon she ever will be. And in case you weren't noticing," Chris said, seriously, "Vin is just as protective and possessive. Don't think either one of them intends what you were intending. More like she's found herself with a couple of real fierce big brothers."

Upstairs, Inez stopped in front of her door. "I am so sorry, senors. I should not have gotten you into this. If I had not gotten drunk and…" she waved a hand to indicate all that had happened between them.

"Inez, my dear. You have nothing to be sorry for. We are honored that you trusted us with your secret… and pleased that you have kept our secret."

"How could I betray your secret when you are willing to risk your place with the seven to help me? I do not know how I can ever repay you."

"Ya don’t need ta repay us, 'Nez. Ya don't owe us a debt."

"Indeed not," Ezra confirmed. "All we ask is that you allow us to help you. Allow us to help you make your dreams of becoming a businesswoman come true, and if you would be so kind, allow us to help you raise your child. As Vin and I are what we are, it is unlikely that either of us shall ever have a child of our own, but we would be honored to act as father figures to your child, to love it as if it were our own flesh and blood."

She smiled at them, "You both treat me so kindly. You know what I have done yet you treat me like a lady. You show me respect. Yes. I would be most pleased to have you as godfathers to my child."

"Dear, dear, Lady," Ezra said quietly, "You are going to become the reigning queen of this town, perhaps even this territory and Vin and I shall be your knights errant, standing at your side, side by side, devoutly determined to make your every wish come true."

"I do not know how you can be so certain of the future. When the townspeople find out that I am with child and have no husband, they will be cruel in the things that they say. They may even—"

"They won't dare!" Ezra declared. "Vin and I will make sure of that."

"Then they will think that the child is one of yours."

"Let'em. Ain't like we care what they think," Vin assured her. "Ya can't live yer life by what other people think, 'Nez. Hell, it ain't like the folks that figure themselves ta be all proper and righteous, think of us as bein' good as them now. They figure Ez is a no-account gambler, and even if I wasn't a wanted man, they'd figure me for just a white injin and a bounty killer. An' while we all know yer as fine a lady as any of'em, ya gotta know that they look down on ya cause ya work in the saloon. Fact is this don't really change how they think of us at all."

"And the rest of the seven? They did not sound happy," Inez said sadly. 

"And you care what they think," Ezra stated. "I do believe that situation will work itself out. Mister Larabee is already aware of your situation and is on our side. If we are upfront with Judge Travis, tell him the truth and ask for his support, I believe that he too will be supportive. If the Judge supports us and you, then Mary will. Mister Wilmington's mother was a working girl; therefore, he is unlikely to condemn you. Mister Jackson's first thought when he discovers that you are with child will be your health and that of the baby. He has seen too much suffering to worry about unimportant details such as your marital status. Mister Sanchez may struggle with it, but then he struggles with his faith all the time. You have always been a friend to him, and I believe in the end he will choose to remain your friend. As for Mister Dunne, he tends to go with the majority of the other six of us." 

"Think JD might fool ya, Ez. Don't think he'll need the others ta make up his mind for him 'bout this. Told me once real quiet like that Dunne was his mama's family name. Reckon she was maybe in the same place with him that 'Nez is now. Figure he'll stand with us in memory of his mama."

"You are correct, Vin. In that case, Mister Dunne's anger will be directed toward the man that caused your condition, Inez, rather than at yourself, therefore he too will stand beside you. And finally you will have Vin and myself, standing squarely between you and anyone who dares besmirch you."

"Yep," Vin agreed, "Yer ours and we're yers. That ain't gonna change. We'll take care ya, and that precious babe. If we have'ta leave here we will, but I kinda figure that iff'n we do, we won't be goin' alone."

"I do not believe that we will be leaving. I intend to win that poker tournament and when I do, this saloon will not be the only business that I buy. There are quite a few closed up businesses, empty buildings and vacant lots in this town," Ezra informed them with a smirk.

"What's that gotta do with us stayin'?" Vin asked.

"Why, Mister Tanner," Ezra said in a gently teasing tone, "you'd be surprised how polite people can be to their landlords, regardless of what they may actually think of them." 

TBC


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Travis comes to town. Plans are made. Friends gather round.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll begin introducing original characters in this chapter. Some will just be passing through not having much impact on the plot, others will be more significant. I'll leave notes on the new characters at the end of the chapter.

*******

Wednesday, January 4, 1871

*******

Chris was waiting on the jailhouse porch when the stage pulled in on Wednesday morning. 

When he saw the stage he, knocked the ash from his cigarillo and making sure it was out dropped it into his pocket. 

As he quickly crossed to stand beside the stage and stepped forwards as soon as Travis stepped down, his breath was white in the chill winter air.

"Let me get your bag for you, sir," he said politely.

"Do we have a problem, Mister Larabee?" Travis asked, tugging his coat tighter with his gloved hands as the chill wind sent swirls of dust blowing down the street. 

Chris seldom met the stage unless he had something specific that he wanted to talk to him about before anyone else had a chance to speak to him.

"I don't think it's a problem," Chris said.

"But some of the others do?"

"They don't have the whole story and aren't going to get it, at least not until the people primarily involved have a chance to speak to you first," Chris said firmly. "I'd appreciate it if you'd wait until after you've spoken to the people involved before you form any kind of opinion."

"Would you care to tell me the basics?"

"It's complicated and best told only once and in its entirety."  
"Sounds like Standish is involved."

"He is… but don't go thinking the worst. He and Vin are making some permanent plans and they are willing to hand in their resignations if we can't work it out so that they can go forwards."

Travis stepped up on the boardwalk in front of the newspaper and turned to look back at Chris, "Standish and Tanner are planning something together and you want me to hear them out?"

"Yes," Chris said.

"Why?"

"They want to put down roots here. If we support them, they'll be staying. If we don't, they'll move on, find somewhere else to put down roots. I've heard the plan and I've already told them that I'll support them. I'd hate to do it but if they move on, I might just be going with them."

Travis blinked. He wanted to ask, 'What about Mary?' but there hadn't been anything said officially on that front, so he settled for, "What about Mister Wilmington? Would he be going? You've known each other a long time."

"He doesn't know enough yet to make a decision. He might go just because I do, or he might stay if JD does. Won't change my decision."

"Hmmmmm," Travis murmured while wondering, 'Could Mary change your decision?' but he just asked, "When can I speak to them?"

"Soon as Vin gets back from the morning patrol. He and Ezra are doing both the morning and afternoon patrols, Vin out of town, Ezra in town. Ezra's around now, but he won't talk to you without Vin present. He says that if they are to be partners then Vin needs to be present for all negotiations."

Travis could almost hear the quotation marks around the words, 'present for all negotiations'. "Formal partnership?" he asked.

"Yeah, Ezra's been working on writing up the agreement since Sunday."

"I see. I'll visit with Mary until Tanner and Standish are ready to talk. You come and get me. I'll have her lock up until then, make it plain that I'm not accepting visitors for the time being," Travis said, decisively. 

If Larabee were firmly enough behind Tanner and Standish on this that he would consider leaving if they did, then perhaps he should hear what Standish had to say without having other people's opinions foisted off on him first.

"Thank you, Judge. If you and Mary will be in the kitchen, I can bring them around to the back door when they finish the patrols. We can talk there."

"That will be fine. I'll be listening for your knock," Travis said reaching for his bag. "Mister Jackson is headed this way, I'd best be getting inside." 

He sighed as he stepped inside, he still worried that Mary might end up hurt by what happened concerning this but at least it seemed that Larabee intended for her to be there when they discussed the matter. Billy thought the world of Larabee as well. If things went badly and Chris left town it would break Billy's heart.

He closed the door behind him and quickly turned the closed sign around, then turned the key to lock it before turning to greet Mary.

She hugged him then asked, "What's going on Orin? And don't tell me nothing. I saw Chris meet you and then you locked my door before even greeting me."

Orin sighed. Naturally, Stephen would have to marry one of the smartest women that Orin had ever met and a nosey one to boot.

"I don't have the whole story, Mary. In fact I don't have much of anything except that Chris wants me to hear Standish and Tanner out without being biased by the opinions of the others."

"Vin and Ezra started doing both the morning and afternoon patrols on Monday and have done them all week. Does this have anything to do with that?"

And an observant, woman too.

He took her arm and headed for the back of the building where the kitchen was. "I believe it does, however, as of yet, I do not know why they are doing both the patrols. Mister Larabee is going to bring them around to the back door when the patrols are done. Let's just have a cup of coffee and visit until they arrive, why don't we?"

Mary glanced back just before they stepped through the curtain into the back and saw Nathan standing at the door to the newspaper, frowning at the closed sign. Thankfully he turned away as the curtain fell closed behind her.

She busied herself, preparing coffee, putting on a fresh pot knowing that Chris, Vin, and Ezra would want coffee when they arrived. She also set out the cookies that she had baked that morning.

When they were seated with coffee and cookies before them, Orin said, "What do you know about what is going on?"

"Nothing really, but I believe that whatever it is started Sunday," she paused, considering, "New Year's Day. Buck and Josiah have been avoiding Vin and Ezra since then while Nathan keeps trying to confront them. They refuse to argue with him and walk away. Poor JD has been walking around looking forlorn. Chris is watching them all like a hawk and when Vin and/or Ezra walk away from Nathan he makes sure that Nathan doesn't follow them. Inez seems to know something about it. At least twice when Nathan tried to confront Vin or Ezra in the saloon, she ran him out with a broom, yelling at him in Spanish."

She sat her coffee down and looked at him squarely, "Now what do you know?"

He sighed again. Damn woman was perceptive, too. He set his coffee down. "This goes no further than this table. Do you understand? You don't print anything unless you have my express permission."

"Orin, people have a right to know—"

"People have a right to privacy, too, Mary. If you reveal their private business, they can sue you for invasion of privacy. Your paper is the only source of local news in this town, that makes it a powerful tool to shape the opinions of the citizens of this town. We do not have all the facts at this time, and you can't start printing rumor and innuendo. It's irresponsible. Furthermore, Vin and Ezra may decide that they are leaving because you printed the story without consulting them."

"But—"

"Mary would you want your private business in the newspaper?"

"I," she started, then slumped, "no, of course not. I promise that I won't print anything about this without permission. Now, tell me what you know."

"Standish and Tanner are serious enough about whatever this is about that they have told the rest of the seven that if they cannot support them that they will resign and leave."

"Vin and Ezra may resign and leave! This could seriously impact the town, Orin," she declared. "Chris, Vin, Buck and Ezra are the core of the seven. Vin is Chris' second-in-command and both of them depend on Ezra's ability to read people and predict what they might do."

"If Standish is third after Tanner where does Wilmington fit?"

"Oh, Ezra's not in the line of command or at least he says that he's not. Buck is third-in- command. Ezra refers to himself as the intelligence officer. Vin laughs every time Ezra says it, but none of them deny it."

Travis snorted. Intelligence officer, of course he was. The man seemed to know everything going on in the entire territory.

As he shook his head and reached for his coffee cup, there was a quiet knock on the back door.

"Mary?" Chris's voice called.

"Come in Chris," Travis answered for her.

When the door opened, he was surprised to see that the first person in was Inez Rocillos, the saloon manager, with Standish hovering right beside her like an anxious father with a toddler. Tanner was on his heels. Chris stood back with a long-suffering look on his face.

Standish escorted Miss Rocillos to a seat at the table and both he and Tanner fussed over her, getting her seated, pouring her a cup of coffee and laying several cookies on a napkin for her before taking seats on either side of her. She endured it for a few moments then lit into the two men with a rapid-fire scolding in Spanish that Travis couldn't keep up with.

Tanner backed off quickly with a chuckle and a grin, but Standish went from doting parent to pouting five-year-old so fast that it was all that Travis could do not to laugh out loud.

Travis glanced at Chris and saw that he had his lips pressed tightly together and was staring at the floor struggling not to burst out laughing himself.

When he looked back at Standish and Miss Rocillos, Standish had turned on the big eyes and was edging close again.

Miss Rocillos froze him with a look, but her voice was gentle this time and Travis caught one word that made him blink: amado, Spanish for beloved.

Standish looked sheepish and murmured a reply in Spanish before settling into the chair beside her, obviously trying to curtail his fussing.

Mary was looking between him and Inez with a strange look on her face, "Inez?" she queried, "are you--?"

Inez looked at her friend with uncertainty, "Si," she said softly laying a hand on her stomach.

Mary looked at Standish, "Is--?"

"No," Inez said before she could finish the question. "The father is gone," she stated then added defiantly, "and I do not want him back!"

Travis cleared his throat, "Miss Rocillos, are you saying that you are… in a family way?" he asked rather cautiously. From the looks that Tanner and Standish were giving him, not to mention Chris and now Mary as well, he thought cautious was the way to go.

Tanner looked fairly relaxed, but Standish was wound tighter than a pissed-off rattler and the hard-eyed look the man was gracing him with clearly said, 'Tread carefully. I have a gun and I'm itching to use it.'

It was probably a good thing the father was gone (at least for the father, whoever he might have been) otherwise he'd be dead. Travis had seen the look in Standish's eyes before, usually in the eyes of a father or brother whose daughter or sister had found themselves in the position that Miss Rocillos was now in, men who were seriously contemplating murder.

She raised her chin and looked at him unflinchingly. "Si, Senor Judge. I am with child."

"Have you considered…?" he trailed off looking at Standish. The man clearly adored her, surely he would be willing to marry her.

Her chin rose even higher if possible, and both Tanner and Standish eased back a few inches. "I will not marry!" She declared fervently, "Not any man. Not ever." Her mouth was pressed into a hard line.

Evidently, she was determined to remain single. "Might I ask why you have made this decision? You must be aware of how difficult it will be to raise your child without a father."

"I wish to own the saloon, to be an independent businesswoman. The father, he tells me that a married woman cannot own property! He says that even if she owns it before she is married, it becomes her husband's when she marries. That she is her husband's property! I refuse to be any man's property!" she declared adamantly.

"Inez, darling," Standish soothed, "why don't we get to the reason that we are here? It really is no one's business why you have made the choice you have. It is your choice to make and Mister Tanner and I will support you, come what may."

He turned towards Travis and pulled a small sheaf of paper out of his inside jacket pocket, "I have here a formal partnership agreement between, Miss Rocillos, Mister Tanner and myself." He held the papers out to the Judge.

When Travis took them and started flipping through them, he continued, "Correct me if I am wrong but even though you are a Federal Judge you are still licensed to practice law privately so long as the cases that you take do not in any way impact your job as a Federal Judge. Therefore, I believe that you should be able to act on behalf of our partnership by filing the paperwork for said partnership for us.

"I should also like to retain you to act on our behalf to buy the saloon from the current owners. We would prefer not to have anyone know, at this time, that we are the ones buying it as the manager of the Bank here is acting on their behalf to sell the saloon and he does not look favorably on any of the three of us. He rejected Miss Rocillos' request for a loan to buy the saloon based entirely on the fact that she is a woman. He thinks little of me and less of Mister Tanner. Therefore, despite the fact that we will be paying cash, he may refuse to sell to us if he is aware of exactly who he is selling to. I am certain, however, that he will be more than happy to sell to any client of yours."

"You intend to use my reputation to get the property that you want," Travis stated.

"We want ta hire ya to represent us. That's what lawyers do, ain't it? Take care of business fer other folks. Don't reckon we're the first folks that'd rather keep their names outta things till the paperwork's done," Vin said, then added with a shrug, "We can always move on. Reckon there's plenty of towns with a saloon fer sale that'd welcome the three of us with open arms, when we show up with cash money ta buy the place."

"I never said that I wouldn't do it," Travis looked back at the partnership agreement. "This is quite professionally done. Have you by any chance read for the law, Mister Standish?"

Ezra raised his chin defiantly, "I was admitted to the bar in Virginia, sir."

Travis nodded. He had always suspected that Standish had at least some training in the law.

He cleared his throat and continued, "According to this, Miss Rocillos will own fifty-two percent of the saloon when you buy it and she has the option of buying the two of you out at a later date."

"If you read it all you see that her percentage is due to the fact that the success or failure of the business is largely in her hands. She will be in charge of the day to day running of the saloon and its management. Mister Tanner is the one doing all the heavy lifting and such whereas despite the fact I am putting up the majority of the money, I will only be helping with the inventorying and doing the bookkeeping. Also that partnership agreement is purely for the saloon."

He pulled out another sheaf of papers, much thicker than the one that Travis now held, saying, "I have here the articles of incorporation for a company, as yet to be named, which will belong to myself, Miss Rocillos and Mister Tanner. For that company, I will own forty percent because I am putting up all the money to start it and Miss Rocillos and Mister Tanner will each own thirty percent. None of us will have controlling interest. So, unlike the partnership of the saloon, where Miss Rocillos may do as she chooses because Mister Tanner and I together cannot out vote her, any two of us can out vote the third if need be."

Travis eyed the sheaf of papers warily. He would be up all night reading that.

Standish clearly could tell what he was thinking. "We do not require your answer about representing the partnership or the company until we return on Monday."

"Return?" Travis asked.

Chris stepped away from the door and back into the conversation, "I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet, fellas. Why don't you leave the paperwork with him and head back over to the saloon? I'll fill him in on the plans for this weekend."

"Sounds good," Tanner said, rising and offering Inez a hand up. "I could go fer lunch."

Standish fluttered a bit then nodded and followed them out.

When they were gone Travis turned to Mary, "If lunch is about ready, Chris and I could eat then retire to the parlor to discuss business."

Mary smiled, "Lunch has been ready. I just need to put it on the table."

"I'll give you a hand," Chris offered.

After they finished lunch, Travis led the way into the parlor. Mary joined them, having decided that whatever they had to discuss would definitely be more interesting than doing the dishes.

Once they were settled, Travis turned to Larabee asking, "Now what is this about Tanner and Standish leaving town?"

"It's just for this weekend, at least for now. I've assigned them to deliver the papers that you said you needed sent to Red Bluff. They'll be back Monday morning. They're doing the morning and evening patrols until noon tomorrow in exchange for being allowed the extra time. I've cancelled the out of town patrols starting with the afternoon patrol tomorrow and ending with the morning patrol on Monday."

"That sounds reasonable to me. Why are the others objecting to it?"

"Because it won't just be this weekend. Ezra wants to enter a poker tournament over in Bitter Creek the middle of next month. To buy the saloon and have enough money to enter the tournament, he's going to need twelve hundred dollars. When he plays here in town, he normally wins between twenty to fifty dollars a week. He'll need to be winning no less two hundred dollars a week to get up that twelve hundred before the tournament starts. Which means he’ll have to try his luck in the bigger towns. He'll need to take off every weekend from now until then to find games that pay enough for him to win the money that he needs."

"And Tanner won't let him go alone?"

"Nope. Vin watches his back when he's playing, especially when he's out of town."

"So they're doing double duty on the patrols the first half of the week in order to have the last half of the week off?" Travis reiterated.

"Yeah," Chris confirmed then added, "they told me to tell you that they would be willing to forego being paid for the four days that they are gone. They are counting the half day on Thursday and half day on Monday as one day."

"But they are pulling double shifts on the days that they are in town," Mary protested. "It hardly seems fair to cut their pay when they are still doing their share of the work."

"The others seem to think that having Vin and Ezra gone over the weekend more than makes up for the double shifts at the first of the week," Chris said.

"Why? Didn't you say that you were cancelling the out of town patrols for the days that Vin and Ezra will be out of town?"

"Mary," Chris said, reasonably, "I'm on Vin and Ezra's side in this. I think that their buying the saloon and putting down roots here is a good thing. It's just that the weekend is when the ranch hands come into town and that is when most of the trouble starts. There are always hands from different ranches and they get drunk and start fights, break up the saloons and disturb the peace."

"Then get some of the townsmen to help out on Friday and Saturday nights," Mary said. "It's not like there are trail herds coming through this time of year. If Vin and Ezra are willing to forego their pay for the days that they are gone, let them take the afternoon patrol Monday and the morning patrols Tuesday through Thursday. That will give them four days per week that they are paid and three that they are not, and they won't have to do double duty. That is much more fair than them doing double duty on the days that they are here and still not getting paid when they are out of town. Otherwise you need to pay them when they are gone. All of you have at one time or another been away from town and still drawn your pay."

She leaned forward, "If you do it that way you will have six dollars to pay townsmen to assist you on Friday and Saturday nights. If you pay the townsmen the same as you are paying Vin and Ezra, you could hire three men with six dollars since you only need them for two nights. In fact since most of the trouble occurs late in the afternoons and evenings, you could pay for half a day's work and hire six extra men for the two nights."

Travis nodded, "That sounds fair to me. I was concerned about Tanner and Standish doing double duty, especially if this goes on for what, five or six weeks until the tournament and then the weekend of the tournament? Standish is going to need to be at his best if he is to win the money they need. None of this will do them any good if he is so exhausted from being overworked that he can't concentrate on the game."

Chris breathed a sigh of relief, "That's what I was thinking, but I wanted your agreement before I told them that."

"Then it's agreed, officially, Standish and Tanner will have Friday, Saturday and Sunday off, without pay. They will leave on Thursday afternoon and return on Monday mornings. They will be assigned the afternoon patrol on Monday and the morning patrols on Tuesday through Thursday. They will receive full pay for those four days."

He stood up and held out his hand to Chris to shake on it. "You may tell Misters Wilmington, Dunne, Sanchez and Jackson that that is my final decision in this matter. You may tell Tanner, Standish and Miss Rocillos that I will be reading over the paperwork on the partnership and the company this weekend and will have an answer concerning whether I will represent them on Monday."

"I told Vin and Ezra that they'd get paid for this weekend, since I'm assigning them to deliver the papers to Red Bluff for you."

Travis nodded, "That's fair enough. This deal starts when they return on Monday," he said.

"Thank you, Judge," Chris said, taking the hand and shaking it.

As Travis headed up the stairs to freshen up and take a quick nap before making an official appearance at the jail, Chris turned to Mary who had risen to walk him out.

"Thank you, too, Mary. A lot of people wouldn't have been as gracious as you were towards Inez considering her situation."

Mary laughed softly, "Inez is my friend, as are Vin and Ezra. Besides, did you see Ezra? He was like a mother hen with one chick. He must have had every gun he owns on him and he was ready to shoot anyone who said a harsh word to Inez."

Chris chuckled, too. "Man's a walking arsenal most days and today, well let's just say that I'm pretty sure he was carrying twice as many guns as usual."

"Exactly my point," she laughed again.

Chris smiled down at her as they reached the front door, and she thought that he might kiss her, but he glanced out the window at the passersby and shook his head slightly. Taking her hands he said softly, "You're a very special lady, Lady."

She smiled back at him then stood on tiptoes to brush her lips across his cheek. Damn the passersby. Let them gawk.

He grinned at her, then turned and unlocked the door, opening it and stepping out.

She left the closed sign turned outward and closed the door back and re-locked it.  
Orin would be resting for at least an hour or two and she had a friend to visit. She wanted to reassure Inez that they were still friends and that she would be standing by her.

*******

Mary wrapped the shawl tighter around her, ducking her head against the cold wind as she made her way to the back door of the saloon. She should have worn her coat and covered her head, but she hadn't really realized just how cold the wind was today. It had been calm earlier when she had taken the chamber pot out to empty it.

She had made certain that Billy had his coat and hat when he went out to play with the Potter children. She sighed. It was easy to look after Billy, but she frequently forgot to take care of herself.

She tapped lightly on the back door of the saloon, then opened the door a crack.

Catherine was working at the stove and turned to smile at her. "Come in, Missus Travis. Miss Inez went upstairs," the smiling Irish girl told her. "Ye can use the outside stairs if ye do nae want to go through the saloon, but the inside stairs be warmer. Ye should have worn ye coat. Tis cold this day."

Mary laughed softly, "Yes it is… and yes, I should have worn my coat. I believe that I will dare the inside stairs."

Catherine laughed, "Ye be doing that and if any of the blighters that hang around out front say a word to ye about being in the saloon, ye just sic that Mister Larabee on them. He'll be quieting them down right quick, he will."

Mary laughed again. "You're a smart woman, Cathy." She stepped closer and gave her friend a hug. 

A year ago she would have never been friends with any woman that worked in a saloon but the incident with Wickes and the working girls had opened her eyes. Not every woman had the advantages that she had. They did what they had to do to survive and to provide for their children. 

Cathy was a widow at twenty with two small children to care for. She had been a mail order bride, coming west at sixteen to marry a man she'd never seen. He'd died of fever just three years later leaving her with a toddler and an infant. With no relatives in the area and no money, she had had to take what work she could get. She was an excellent cook and Inez had hired her to help in the saloon kitchen just over a month before. While Catherine would have preferred to work at the restaurant or one of the hotels, none of them had been willing to make any accommodation for her to bring her children to work with her and she had no one to watch them while she worked.

Her toddler, Marilee, was a delightful two-year old with chubby cheeks and her mother's coloring. The baby, Emily, with darker hair and grey eyes but just as chubby, was just nine months old. 

Vin had literally fenced off a small corner of the kitchen so that Cathy could bring the girls with her to work. They were there now, Marilee playing with a handmade rag-doll and Emily asleep on a small pallet.

Cathy was a cheerful woman, short and sturdy with merry blue eyes, red gold hair and a near constant smile. She never failed to cheer Mary up when they talked. She hugged Mary back then turned back to her work.

"Be going on with ye now," Cathy said, releasing her and giving her a small push towards the door to the storeroom and the hall that lay beyond it.

Mary turned and slipped through the storage room to the short hall that ran from the saloon to the back door so that people could go out to the outhouse without going through the kitchen and disturbing the cook.

Ezra Standish was just heading back to the kitchen via the same hall as she stepped out into it. He flashed her a smile, "Are you here to see Inez?"

"Yes," she told him.

"Good. She is fretting that you might be angry with her."

"Why ever would I be angry with her? I am certainly angry with the man who did this to her but not her."

"Perhaps angry was not the word that I was looking for. Disappointed perhaps?"

"Not that either," Mary snapped and was surprised to see him smile.

"Good," he said again, "she shall need at least one good and steadfast female friend. Vin and I can only do so much. A woman needs a woman at a time like this. It is also good that she shall have someone that has already been through a pregnancy. Between you and Catherine, you should be able to allay any worries that she may have about the process."

Mary shook her head and gave a small laugh, saying, "You Mister Standish are a fraud. You claim to be selfish and heedless of others but that is one of the most thoughtful things I have ever heard a man say about a pregnant woman."

He blushed. "Well, don't go _telling_ anyone," he chided, "I'd never live it down."

She laughed and said, "It'll be our secret. Now, I'd best get on up to Inez's room."

He stopped her, "Oh, ummm, ah, she isn't in her room."

Mary frowned at him.

"Her bed is awfully small and rather uncomfortable so she's resting… in my room, number seven."

"Your room?"

He blushed again. 

Mary fought a smile. Who knew Ezra Standish could blush?

"Well, it's not like I'm in there with her!" He thrust his chin out and glared at her, then straightened his jacket sleeves, before saying, "Now, I have to go watch the food for Catherine while she feeds the girls. "

Head held high, he stalked past her and into the storeroom.

She hurried to the stairs fighting a grin all the way. She had seen the rocking chair in the storeroom but hadn't realized that it was there for Cathy so that she could nurse the baby in private or that Ezra was the one that would be watching the food while she did so.

Oh, Mister Standish, your mask is crumbling!

She tapped lightly on the door to number seven and called, "Inez, it's Mary may I come in?"

There was the sound of movement then the door opened a crack, "Mary? Come in, please," Inez said.

Mary stepped into the room, standing aside so that Inez could close the door back. 

"Oh, Mary! What you must think of me!" Inez said, tears glittering in her eyes. "I am so ashamed!"

"Inez," Mary stepped close and took the distraught woman in her arms, letting her sob on her shoulder. "You have nothing to be ashamed of! That miserable man, however, needs a shotgun shoved up his backside."

Inez pulled back, wiping at her tears with the back of her hand, smiling in spite of herself, she fought back a laugh. "Such language from such a fine lady!"

Mary gave a very unladylike snort, "You are just as much a lady as I am, and I'd rather be your friend than be a lady. Now, tell me everything. Especially about Sunday, because, well, you are resting in his room and I have seen Ezra Standish blush more today than in the entire year and a half that he has been in this town." She laughed suddenly, "He didn't even blush when he paraded down main street in nothing but his boots, hat, gun and a tablecloth."

Inez laughed softly at the reminder of the event then turned serious, "I wish that I could, Mary, but I cannot betray Senor Ezra's confidence or Senor Vin's…"

"Ezra's and Vin's?" Mary blinked then said, "Oh, this is about them being more than friends."

"You know!"

"Not for certain, not until now." Mary grinned cheekily.

"Mary, you cannot tell anyone, please. They love each other and they have been so good to me. They have promised to stand by me and my bebe. They are putting up almost all the money to buy the saloon, but I will own over half interest in it and all I will have to do is run it just as I do now. I don't know what I will do without them!"

"Inez, you are my friend and so are Vin and Ezra. I can't say that I understand it, but they have proven themselves to this town. It wasn't so long ago that Ezra took a bullet meant for me. How could I betray him after that? You have my word; I won't say anything to anyone about it."

"Thank you! Thank you," Inez said, "I could not bear it if they were harmed because I let it slip that they were amantes." She studied Mary for a long moment. "You are more understanding than when I first came to town. We were only acquaintances until after Don Paulo came after me."

"I know. I was still processing something that happened shortly before you came to town. There was an incident with a man called Wickes…" she trailed off questioningly.

"Si, I have heard of this. For some reason, Senor Buck finds it very funny that Senor Ezra wore a dress and pretended to be a saloon singer to cause a distraction in Wickes' tent town."

"The distraction was needed so that the others could rescue me. I had been kidnapped in an attempt to force Chris and the others to return some of the girls that Wickes had forced into being working girls to return. I had never been so frightened in my life. I was not only afraid that he would kill me, but he made it clear that he would like to do far worse than that to me." 

She looked down at her hands. "I had never thought about how those girls might have come to do what they did, or what their lives might be like. There was one girl, Nora, she had been lured out here as a mail order bride only to find that there was no husband waiting, only Wickes and his 'job offer'. A 'job' that included a regular client that liked to beat her as well as use her. As vile as Wickes was, he said some things that made me think. What might have happened to me and Billy, if I didn't have the paper? Or if Judge Orin Travis was not my father-in-law? It made me realize that people do what they have to do to survive and to take care of the people that they love."

She looked up into Inez' eyes and said seriously, "It opened my eyes and I am glad that it did otherwise I might never have become friends with you, and I am very glad that you are my friend. Very glad, and I will never betray anything that you tell me in confidence."

Inez took her hand, "I am glad that you are my friend as well and you may tell me anything as well and I will not betray it to anyone."

Mary smiled, "It's been a long time since I've had a true confidant, other than my husband and he has been gone for over two years now. I am friendly with most of the women in town but there has been no one that I have truly been close to."

"Si, it is the same with me. I had many sisters and cousins back home, but it has been lonely here."

"Is that why you…" she let it trail off now quite sure how to ask the question.

"Perhaps. He was very handsome, very charming and very rich. I let him turn my head with his talk of traveling the world and doing whatever we wished."

"When did he…?"

"I am six weeks pregnant."

"You are certain?"

"There was no one before him and none since. I feared the worst when I missed my monthly just over a week after he left but it was not until this past week that I was sure. I have never missed, not since I first began to have them. To miss twice could mean but one thing: I am with child."

"Still it is very early. Before I had Billy, I lost two babies, both before I was far enough along to be sure that I was pregnant."

"Oh, no! I am so sorry for you. Does this happen often, losing a child before you barely know that you may have one?"

"It was a long time ago, Inez; I seldom think about it anymore. I don't know how often it happens. Many women won't speak of a miscarriage. They fear that if they do so, it will make another more likely. If you want this baby, we just have to make sure that you take care of yourself. You should tell Nathan that you suspect that you are pregnant and let him keep an eye on you."

Inez snorted, "As if Ezra and Vin are not enough of the mother hens!"

Mary laughed again, pulling Inez into a hug, "Tell me everything! How did this partnership come about?"

Inez leaned into her and smiling began to talk. Her heart filled with the knowledge that she wasn't going to lose the closest female friend that she had in Four Corners because of a moment's poor judgment.

*******

Thursday, January 5, 1871

*******

Vin had taken a livery mount on morning patrol, wanting Peso to be rested when they rode out tonight. He and Ezra would be taking Peso and Chaucer on the ride to Red Bluff. They had talked about the trail last night, planning on the best route.

Ezra had checked the almanac and while the moon wouldn't actually be full until Friday night, it would be close enough to give them plenty of light to travel on after the sun set. According to the almanac the moon would already be up before sunset and wouldn't set before sunrise on Friday. If they were lucky and there were no clouds, they could travel most of the night. 

Vin dismounted outside the livery and led the horse inside. Tiny's son Matthew, came to meet him taking the horse's reins from him and leading the horse off to unsaddle it and rub it down.

The boy looked back over his shoulder and said, "Mister Standish already told us to have Peso and Chaucer ready for ya right after lunch. We gave them an extra feed of grain mid-morning, like ya told us last night. We turned them into the corral after so that they could get a bit of exercise."

"Thanks Matt. Knew we could depend on you."

"Anytime, Mister Tanner."

Vin smiled at him and headed over to the saloon for lunch. He'd ask Ez about giving the boy a little extra tip for being so reliable about doing as they asked.

He frowned to see that he was the first of the seven to make it to the saloon for lunch. Chris had pretty much told everyone that he wanted them all there for a quick report before Vin and Ezra left for the weekend.

He nodded at Inez behind the bar and briefly wondered why she wasn't serving lunch until he saw Blossom Call and Molly Jones, the two working girls that kept rooms at the saloon coming out of the kitchen, carrying platters of food. He thought it was a little early for the girls to be up, given the hours that they 'worked'. Then he saw Inez stretching up, reaching for a bottle on one of the high shelves behind the bar and saw Blossom quickly set her tray on the end of the bar and hurry over to her, clearly scolding her for straining to reach the bottle.

Huh. Apparently the girls knew that Inez was pregnant. He snorted softly when Blossom, who was even shorter than Inez tried to reach the bottle. Grinning he moved to the bar and easily got the bottle down.

He handed it to Inez, saying softly, "Reckon I best be making you some lower shelves. Might cut down on breakage as well if we put them below the bar level."

"Thank you, Senor Vin. I would appreciate that."

"I'll get on it soon as we get back on Monday." He looked around again, "Y'all seen Ez?"

"Si," Inez said just as Blossom and Molly both said, "He's over to the jail."

Vin frowned, "What happened?"

"Some kid that got off the stage, couldn't have been more'n twelve or thirteen, tried ta pick Mister Standish's pocket," Molly said. 

"We ain't sure if he's locking him up or giving him lessons," Blossom added with a hoot of laughter.

Vin chuckled, too. He could absolutely see Ezra giving the kid lessons, embarrassed to have had an amateur try to pick his pocket. 

Just then Ezra came through the saloon door, leading a teenaged boy by the arm. "Come along now, Mister 'I don't have to tell you my name'." He pulled the boy over to the seven's regular table and snagging an extra chair pushed him down into it.

The boy might only be twelve or thirteen as the girls said but he was already as tall as Ezra. He had curly dark red hair and equally dark blue eyes in a thin face liberally scattered with freckles. He was gangly with long arms and legs. From the looks of him, by the time he was grown and filled out, he'd be a match for Bucklin in height and breadth.

Looking up at Blossom, sparing Vin a smile as he turned to her, Ezra said, "Three lunch specials." He motioned Vin over to them as he sat in the chair beside the boy.

Vin obligingly joined them, taking the chair on the other side of the boy, neatly boxing him in.

"I do hope that you like bean and beef burritos as that is the lunch special today," Ezra said to the boy.

"What if I don't?" the boy demanded.

"Eat it or go hungry," Vin said curtly. "Don't reckon Ez'd be buying you lunch iff'n you had the money to buy your own."

"I'd have money if he hadn't of… ummm…."

"Arrested you for picking pockets?" Ezra finished for him.

"Yeah!" the boy snapped.

"It's his job," Vin stated quietly.

Ezra chuckled, smiling at the boy, "None the less if you had been good enough at it, I'd have let you go."

"Really?" the boy's eyes widened. "Why?"

"Because it's nothing that I haven't done. Before I landed here and became a peacekeeper, I made my living as a gambler, con artist and pickpocket. You are lucky that I was the one that caught you. Some other lawman in some other town would not only have arrested you but sent you off to Yuma Prison for a year or two. Trust me, you don't want to go to Yuma Prison, not as young as you are."

"I can handle myself!"

"Not in prison you can't. I'd sooner see you hung than sent to Yuma."

"What?" the boy looked at him in dismay.

"There are far worse things than dying, young man. Things that will make you pray for death. Things that you'll kill yourself to escape from because that is the only escape you can have."

"He's right, kid," Vin said. "Thank yer lucky stars that Ezra's the one that caught you. You listen to him an' ya might live to get grown."

The boy looked sullenly down at the table then heaved a sigh. He didn't have a lot of options. He could play along with them until they turned their heads and he could escape, or he could wind up in a jail cell while they tried to find out if any other lawmen wanted him. He heaved another sigh. There were at least three or four sheriffs that would happily come and get him and throw him in a cell to rot.

After a long moment he raised his head, and said, "My name's Michael. Michael O'Shaughnessy."

"Excellent," Ezra said just as Chris and Buck joined them. "Mister Larabee, Mister Wilmington, this young man is Michael O'Shaughnessy. I caught him trying to pick my pocket."

"So why isn't he in jail?" Chris gave the boy a hard look that sent an icy shiver down his back.

Ezra shrugged then said casually, "He reminds me of myself when I was a lad. I don't think he is irredeemable. I would like to place him on probation and see how he does."

"Judge might have something to say about that. We do work for him and he is in town," Chris said.

"I am not pressing charges and fortunately, it was my pocket he chose to try to pick first, therefore he has committed no crime in this town."

"I'm sure there are other towns where he has picked pockets," Chris said, still glaring at Michael. He bared his teeth in a grin, "Travis is a federal judge…."

"How fortunate then that pick pocketing is not a Federal crime," Ezra snapped.

"Fine. He's your responsibility," Chris snapped right back.

"And just what am I supposed to do with him this weekend? We are leaving right after lunch to deliver the papers that Travis needs to be in Red Bluff by noon tomorrow."

"Take him with you."

"He doesn't have a horse. We will be traveling fast and riding long into the night. We can't take him with us."

"Then what do you want me to do?"

"I thought that I would give him a job, helping Inez. While he is only thirteen, he is already taller than she is and gangly with long arms and legs. He should be able to easily reach the bottles on the top shelf for her. Mister Tanner is planning to build shelves for her at bar height and below, but he cannot do that until we return on Monday."

"We can't watch him every minute, day and night, Ezra."

"Then lock him in the jail at night. He's going to need a place to sleep in any event. Perhaps a few nights of being locked up will give him a greater appreciation of being free. I would suggest however that you have someone on guard in the jail while he is there. If he can pick a pocket there is a good chance that he can pick a lock as well. I certainly could at his age. You'll need to search him every night before you lock him up. I'll show you what to look for before we leave."

"And what am I to do with him when we have a jail full of rowdy cowboys?"

"Start out with him in one cell and the cowboys in another. By the time you need to start putting them in the cell with him I'm relatively certain that he will have come to the conclusion that it is better to behave and be allowed to sleep on a bunk in the jail hall than to have to endure being locked in a cell with said rowdy cowboys."

"And if he doesn't come to that conclusion?"

"Then go ahead and throw the cowboys in with him. He'll be begging to be allowed to change his mind soon enough."

Michael was watching them as they argued, his head snapping first one way then the other. Larabee scared him, just by looking at him but hearing Ezra so casually instruct Larabee to throw the cowboys in with him made him realize that behind the smile and the gentlemanly behavior Ezra Standish was just as ruthless as Larabee, maybe more so.

Buck hooted with laughter. "Damn, Ez, didn't know that you had a mean streak."

"It's a practical streak, Mister Wilmington. I hope Michael is smart enough to realize the danger that a bunch of drunk and rowdy cowboys presents without needing to have to try and fight them off, but if he is not then he needs to learn that lesson. If he keeps on the way he is going, he will end up in Yuma Prison and the prisoners there are far more vicious and violent than any drunk and rowdy cowboy we have around here."

"Okay, but you get to explain to Inez that you are giving her a helper and you get to explain that he will be sleeping at the jail," Chris told him.

"Very well," Ezra said as Blossom and Molly brought out the lunch specials that Ezra had ordered.

Chris ordered the same for himself and Buck, as Michael poked carefully at the tortilla wrapped bundle on his plate, eyeing it uncertainly. 

He looked around for a knife or fork but saw none. Then he saw Vin just pick his bundle up with his hands and take a bite of it. 

Vin looked at him and winked, nodding towards Michael's plate.

Michael looked over at Ezra and saw that he, too, had picked up the bundle and was taking a bite out of it, although it was a much smaller bite than Vin had taken.

After chewing and swallowing, Ezra told him, "Burritos are made to be eaten this way. The tortilla is wrapped around a filling of beef, rice, and cheese. Be careful with the first bite, the spices may be a bit much if you are not used to them."

Still looking uncertain, Michael picked up his burrito and carefully took a bite. His eyes widened at the spicy taste. He chewed and swallowed then said, "This is good. I've never had anything like it."

"It's Mexican food. We're less than fifty miles from the border. There are a lot of Mexicans in the area. Food from her homeland is Miss Inez' specialty. She gets a lot of business from people who like something different from what the restaurant and the hotels serve," Ezra told him.

Shortly after that JD, Josiah and Nathan joined them and talk turned to business. 

Michael stayed quiet and listened to the men talk, trying to be as unnoticed as possible.

Vin gave his report on the morning patrol, not that there was much to report. The cold weather meant that there was little going on out on the range. The biggest worry that Vin reported was that the pond near Nettie's was freezing over but that it wasn't solid and anyone foolish enough to try walking on it would go in.

Buck grunted, "We've still got that sign that Ezra painted last year, saying 'Thin Ice' with the picture of somebody going into the icy pond. I'll ride out there and put it up."

"Naw, Buck," JD said, "I'll do it. I wanna ride out and see Casey anyhow."

Buck grinned at him and said, "Alrighty. Guess I'll do the in town patrol then." He finished off his burritos and headed out.

Ezra introduced Michael to the others and Chris explained to them what they would be doing about him.

"We're already shorthanded and you want us to keep an eye on the kid, too," Nathan argued. "If he's a thief why don't we just lock him up?"

"Because I am the one he tried to steal from, and I am not pressing charges," Ezra snapped.

Nathan muttered something about "birds of a feather" under his breath.

"Would you care to say that loud enough for us all to hear, Mister Jackson?" Ezra demanded.

Josiah caught Nathan's arm as he started to rise, "Nathan, you know better." 

Vin reached across Michael to close his hand around Ezra's wrist, effectively blocking him from ejecting his derringer into his hand. "Easy, Ez."

Nathan took a deep breath and slumped back into his seat. He cocked his head, looking at Ezra then Michael and back again, after a minute he shook his head and said, "Damn. I'm sorry Ez. I do know better. Don't know why I can't seem to _do_ better."

"Change takes time, Mister Jackson. Realizing that you want to change is the first step. You'll get there," he said as he stood up, letting Vin's grip on his arm slip away. 

He held out his hand to Nathan and Nathan stood to take it.

"We will get there," he continued. "It takes two to fight but it also takes two to parley. If we both persist in trying to be friends we will reach an accord."

"Then let's promise ta keep trying. I know that I'm apt ta backslide, but I figure yer worth the struggle ta be friends with."

"Agreed," Ezra said, letting Nathan's hand go. "Now, I need to introduce Michael to Inez and explain his duties to him."

As he led Michael away, Vin rose too, heading for the kitchen to see if Catherine had the food for the trail that she'd promised them ready. By the time that he had gathered the half a dozen thick sandwiches that she had fixed for them, stopped by Missus Potters to pick up a hunk of cheese and a dozen apples, and arrived at the livery, Ezra was already there. 

He was leading Peso and Chaucer out already saddled and tacked up for a long ride. 

Vin distributed the food between their saddlebags, dividing it evenly. Swinging in the saddle he turned Peso's head north and Chaucer followed, closing up so that they were riding side by side.

As they walked the horses passed the saloon, he glanced inside, watching Michael as he stood behind the bar, a grin on his face as Inez spoke to him.

"So," he turned to Ezra, "are we adopting?"

Ezra laughed. "Perhaps. It depends."

"On what?"

"If he is still here where we get back."

"Ya think he can get passed the fellas?"

"If he truly wants to. I certainly could have at his age."

Vin chuckled quietly; he didn't doubt it for a minute. There was a lot more to Ezra than met the eye. He wouldn't have fallen in love with him if there hadn't been.

*******

Ezra's almanac, already well-worn having been purchased as soon as it came available back in September, said that the sun would set shortly after seven so when he checked his watch and it said seven o'clock, they started looking for a campsite.

They made a cold camp as the sun went down. They were close to halfway to Red Bluff, almost exactly where they had intended to stop. They had been in the saddle a little over six hours having gotten off later than they had intended. It being winter meant that the days were shorter. 

As they unsaddled the horses and fed and watered them, Vin gave the moon, hanging nearly full in the eastern sky, a glance. As the sun sank in the west the moon was beginning to brighten.

"Moon's gonna be bright tonight. Should be near overhead come midnight," he commented.

Ezra laughed softly, grinning at Vin in the deepening shadows. "Yes, and the almanac says it will not set until after sunrise tomorrow. We couldn't have found a better night to ride if we'd hung the moon ourselves."

Vin nodded as he got out one of the apples and cut it up for Peso, "Makes a fella think that maybe you was right about the signs being in favor of us and what we're doing."

Ezra took the knife from Vin to cut up Chaucer's apple rather than get out his own knife, then handed it back. Holding the apple out to Chaucer, his palm flat so that the horse could lip the apple off his hand, he said, "I have a really good feeling about this venture, Darling. It feels as if for the first time in my life good fortune isn't just flowing passed me, it's carrying me forward with it."

Vin stepped closer as Ezra took out his handkerchief and wiped his hand. Vin reached out to pull his partner into his arms. "I got a good feeling, too. Gotta admit that I weren't real sure about things when we first woke up with 'Nez in the bed with us. Thought maybe that ever thing was about to go straight ta hell but now, your right: It feels like Lady Luck is smiling at us."

Ezra leaned against him, sighing softly, "Let us hope that she continues to smile, at least until after the tournament in Bitter Creek."

Vin nodded, his chin rubbing the top of Ezra's head where it was tucked under his chin. "Let's get a couple of the sandwiches that Cat made us and then ya can catch some shuteye."

"You need to rest as well, at least an hour or two."

Vin nodded, knowing that Ezra wouldn't sleep at all if he didn't agree.

By the time that they had eaten their supper the moon was shining brightly above them. They sat a few minutes just watching it and leaning against each other. Then Vin spread out their blankets, making a single pile. He lay down, resting his head against Ezra's thigh, as Ezra sat watch. He slept just over an hour and a half by Ezra's watch then swapped places with Ezra. 

Ezra gave Vin the watch, "Don't let me sleep passed midnight," he said before leaning in for a quick kiss then settling down with his head in Vin's lap.

Vin didn't have to wake Ezra. The gambler sat up at a quarter till midnight and they quickly broke camp. They saddled the horses, gave them another apple each and were back on the trail before midnight.

*******

Friday, January 5, 1871

Early morning before dawn

*******

Another six hours saw them at the second camp site they had planned on and again they made a cold camp.

Vin shook his head when Ezra asked if he wanted another nap. 

"Naw, I'm wide awake. This here's the time of day that I'm getting' up. You need the sleep more than I do. You're the one that's gonna hav'ta stay up to all hours of the night tonight."

"Really, Vin. We both know you'll be right there with me and I should be able to get at least four or five hours this afternoon before the games start."

"Maybe if ya don't spend it all checking out the town, seeing as how word is that the railroad has done reached Red Bluff. Now, stop your arguing and get ta sleepin'. I done told ya, I ain't the least bit sleepy."

Ezra smiled fondly at him then agreed, as long as Vin would lay down and cuddle with him for a few minutes before sitting up to sit watch.

When Ezra was asleep, Vin leaned back against the trunk of the big oak that they were camping under and smiled to himself. If they had stuck to the road instead of cutting across country, they would still be half a day's ride out of Red Bluff. Instead they were almost there. They'd be on the ridge overlooking Red Bluff shortly after daylight in the morning. 

Three hours later the sun was well up as they broke camp and set out at a leisurely pace to cover the last mile into Red Bluff.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New Characters in this chapter:
> 
> Catherine is an original character. She is a young Irish woman who cooks at the saloon and is being groomed by Inez to take her place as head of the kitchen when Inez stops working. She is twenty years old and a widow. She came west at sixteen as a mail order bride. Her husband died approximately three years later leaving her with two small daughters, Marilee (2 yrs. old) and Emily (9 months old). Catherine is short and a bit stout with red gold hair and bright blue eyes. Most people call her Cathy. Ezra calls her Catherine and Vin calls her Cat.
> 
> Matthew (Smith) is an original character. He is the livery owner's son. He'll be mentioned from time to time but is not a significant character.
> 
> Blossom Call and Molly Jones are two working girls that live in the saloon and are friendly with Inez. I'm not certain if Blossom and Molly are a canon characters or not but I have seen the names before although I can't recall where. If they aren't canon I don't know who they belong to. Their friendship with Inez will grow stronger, but they are not major players.
> 
> Michael O'Shaughnessy is an original character. He is twelve or thirteen years old. Already as tall as Ezra, he has dark red hair and blue eyes, he's thin and gangly with long arms and legs. Ezra caught Michael trying to pick his pocket. Rather than arrest him, Ezra takes him under his wing. He will be showing up quite a bit.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vin and Ezra go to Red Bluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't changed much in this chapter.
> 
> I'm afraid that my posting schedule may be somewhat erratic from now on. I'm having some health issues and there are days when I barely feel up to getting out of bed, so I will apologize now for how slow the updates may become. I will however continue to work on this as writing is one of the few things that helps to keep my spirits up when I am not feeling well.

*******  
Morning, Friday, January 6, 1871  
In a stand of trees on a ridge just outside Red Bluff  
*******

Vin rolled over on his back and handed the spyglass off to Ezra.

They had circled the town, coming up to a ridge on the eastside so that the sun would be behind them. They were laying at the crest of the ridge, hidden in a small clump of trees. With the sun behind them and the shade of the trees there was no danger of light reflecting off the spyglass and giving away their presence. 

They weren't ready for anyone to know that they were here yet. Making sure that no one saw a reflection from the spyglass was a part of that.

"Awful lotta people down there. Way more'n last time we was here," Vin said.

"It appears that the railroad has, indeed, arrived since last we ventured here. More people means more money," Ezra responded.

"An' there's more like ta be trouble. Rich folk don't like the have-nots taking what they figure's theirs."

Ezra smiled. "Then we'll just have to have an escape plan in place. Did you note the rise behind the row of saloons and bawdy houses?"

"Yep. Nice stand of trees there. Most as nice as this'n."

"Indeed and the privy is between the saloons and the rise. A man could ask where the privy is and excuse himself ta use it…" Ezra suggested.

"An' somebody could be waitin' fer him with the horses saddled in that stand of trees. Be gone afore any body was like ta get to wonderin' what was takin' so long," Vin finished.

"Let's circle round and check it out. I'd like to know just how much of the town is visible from that viewpoint and if there is a way out of it without returning through the town."

"Ya got ta deliver them papers today, ya know," Vin reminded him.

"After lunch is acceptable. We should not have arrived as of yet. Had the moon not been full and we determined to arrive in time to reconnoiter, we would not have arrived until noon, so I estimate that we have several hours before we are expected."

"Plenty a'time ta check it out then," Vin agreed. 

It took the better part of an hour to work their way around the town to the area that they wished to explore but when they arrived what they discovered made it worthwhile.

The rise was actually the intersection of two small hills, there was a small saddle between the two hills making it easy to slip through to the other side. On the side away from the town there was a small hollow that would make a perfect dry camp. The back side of the rise was a gentle slope leading up to the stand of trees that they had seen from the east ridge. Vin quickly found a spot where he could lie on top of the rise and see most of the town. The back side of the street full of saloons and bawdy houses was clearly visible.

"So, what now? We circle back and ride inta town on the main road?"

"I do. You stay here," Ezra said,

"Ez, I ain't lettin' ya go down there alone."

"I did not think you would, however, I believe it best if you remain here until dark. Once it is dark you can slip into town and fetch Chaucer from the livery. I will use the same one as I did last time we were here. You can bring him back here, then slip back into town and come to Miz Emmaline's. I'll be there. I won't sit into any games until you arrive to watch my back but there is no reason that anyone else should be aware that we are together."

Vin sighed but nodded, acknowledging that although Ezra hadn't mentioned it, the larger crowds increased the possibility of someone recognizing him as a wanted man. "Sounds okay, but you be careful."

"I will, beloved. We are too close to bringing our plans to fruition to get careless now." He stepped close slipping his arms around Vin's waist and laying his head on Vin's chest. "I shall try to make sure that I am within your line of sight as much as possible."

Vin nodded again, "I'll settle Peso, then be right up here with my glass and my rifle. You get in trouble ya signal me. If I've got a shot, I'll take it an' you high tail it outta there and we're gone."

Ezra nodded his agreement and stepped back, slipping out of Vin's arms and removing the tan trail coat he wore. Moving to his saddle he opened the carpetbag that he had looped over the saddle horn, leaving it hanging from the saddle horn by one handle so that he could remove his dark gray tailcoat and the silver and black checkered vest he normally wore with it. Removing his shoulder holster he hung it and the Colt Conversion in it over the saddle horn. He quickly put the vest on over his shirt, then put his shoulder holster back on. He checked the derringer in its rig then finally he settled the dark gray coat over it all, smoothing the lines so that the two guns were virtually unnoticeable. 

Turning to Vin and striking a pose, chin up, shoulders back, back straight, he asked, "Do Ah look like an upstanding citizen that the Honorable Judge Orin Travis would entrust with the ever so important task of delivering important papers to his fellow officer of the court, Judge Andrew Havisham?"

"Yeah," Vin said, smiling as he stepped forwards to straighten Ezra's cravat, "ya look plumb respectable."

"Good," Ezra grinned, as he made the ace of spades appear in his hand and dance across his knuckles, "they'll never see me coming."

"Ya be careful," Vin repeated, "Ya win us lots of money but don't go gettin' hurt doin' it, ya hear me?"

"I hear you and again, I promise I will not sit down to the table until you arrive."

"Don't make promises ya can't keep. If ya get roped inta a game afore I get there and there ain't no easy way outta it, go ahead on, just remember that I ain't there an' ya gotta watch yer own back like ya use ta afore I went an' spoilt ya."

"You have my word, if I cannot avoid a game before you arrive, I will be doubly cautious."

*******

Half an hour later Ezra walked Chaucer down the main street of the bustling town, stopping in front of the jail and addressing the man sitting on the porch with a sheriff's badge pinned to his shirt and a shotgun resting across his lap.

"Good day, sir, may I presume that you are the sheriff?"

The last time that he and Vin had been to Red Bluff nearly three months prior there had not been a sheriff.

"Yep," the man replied, his black eyes studying Ezra suspiciously. 

Ezra was glad that Vin had agreed not to ride in with him. This was the kind of sheriff that kept up with the wanted posters that crossed his desk and most likely remembered most of them. Vin was safer not appearing here in the light of day.

"My name is Ezra Standish; I work for Judge Travis in Four Corners. I have some papers for Judge Havisham from him. Could you direct me as to where I might find him to deliver them?"

"Huh," the sheriff huffed, he stood up and shifted the shotgun to cradle in his arms. He was as tall as Buck but gaunt, almost skeletal, "I'm Carl Porter, sheriff of Red Bluff. The judge is over ta the Grey Goose having lunch. I'll walk over with you."

"Thank you," Ezra said politely, swinging down from Chaucer and draping the reins around the saddle horn. He fell in step with the sheriff. 

Chaucer ambled along behind them, following Ezra.

The sheriff looked back at Chaucer and raised an eyebrow.

Ezra grinned at him. "He's very intelligent and badly spoilt. He knows that I keep peppermints in my pockets for him and if he follows me when I do not tie him somewhere, I will eventually give him one or two pieces."

Carl nodded. "So, ya work fer Travis. Ya a lawyer?"

"While I am indeed, admitted to the bar and licensed to practice law, that is not the duty that I perform in Four Corners."

"What do ya do?"

"I am one of the Seven, Judge Travis' Regulators."

"Reckon yer pretty good with that gun then."

"Good enough… and smart enough to know that going against a man with a shotgun is fool's play."

The sheriff nodded as they stepped up on the boardwalk in front of the restaurant.

Ezra turned to Chaucer, dipping a hand in his pocket and offering the horse a peppermint. He scratched Chaucer's chin then said, "Wait here. I shall return shortly to find you a nice stall and a bit of grain. Be good and I might even add some molasses "

Chaucer nodded his head as if he understood and side-stepped out of line with the steps to stand beside them, close to the hitching post but not at it.

"Ya think he understands ya?"

Ezra shrugged, "I have no idea; however, he seldom wanders off so, perhaps he at least understands to stay."

The sheriff nodded then gestured towards the door of the restaurant, "Judge is in here." He led the way in, walking straight over to a table near the window, where a tall, slim man with white hair and a neat goatee sat.

"Judge, this here fella says he's got some papers fer ya from Judge Travis."

The Judge started to push back his chair and rise but Ezra shook his head, "No need to stand, sir. This will only take a moment."

"Didn't Travis tell you to be certain of my identity before you deliver the papers?" Havisham asked.

"You are exactly as he described you and the sheriff has indicated that you are the correct person. None the less, you are correct. I have an identifying phrase for you: The sun is golden at the dawn."

Havisham nodded and replied, "And blood red going down."

"Excellent," Ezra said, reaching into his inside pocket, allowing both the sheriff and the Judge to see the Colt Conversion hanging in its shoulder holster as he removed the papers from the inside jacket pocket.

"I was told that there would be two of you," Havisham said as he wiped his hands on his napkin then reached for the packet.

"My companion is the Seven's tracker. He is disquieted by large crowds, preferring the quiet splendor of nature. Once he saw just how much the town has grown since our last visit, how many people that there were here, he decided that he would prefer to camp outside of town and await my return. I saw no reason why he should not."

"Ya wasn't worried about coming in alone?" the sheriff asked.

Ezra shrugged, "I can take care of myself. Could I not, I would not be one of the Seven. It is simply one of Mister Larabee's rules that no one of us is to travel to another town alone. I will take a stroll out to Vin's camp and check-in with him before I settle down for the night. If I do not show up, he will come looking for me and believe me, no one wants him to have to come looking for me. It will not end well."

He glanced out the window and saw that Chaucer was eyeing the steps with a speculative look.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I promised my horse that I would be back soon to find him a livery and some grain, he appears to be getting impatient." He tipped his hat to the Judge, "Good day, sir."

As he walked away, Havisham pushed back his plate and lay the packet of papers in front of him as the sheriff had a seat, propped his shotgun against one of the spare chairs and signaled the waitress to bring him a plate.

Havisham pulled out a letter that simply had, 'Andrew' written across the front of it. Opening it he began to read, then chuffing a laugh, handed it over to the sheriff. 

"It appears, Carl, that Orin's messenger comes with a warning. It seems he's a mighty fine card player," Havisham chuckled.

"Woulda never guessed. Said he was a lawyer," Carl leaned back as the waitress sat a plate in front of him. "Ya reckon he's a cheat?"

"Orin says that he's never caught him cheating and Orin has quite the eye for spotting a cheat."

"Looks awful young ta be that good."

"Orin says he's Maude Standish's boy," Havisham said.

"Who's Maude Standish?"

"One of the best female poker players in the west. She used to be quite a draw at tournaments. If she taught that young man to play, you had best not sit at the table if you can't afford to lose." 

Havisham chuckled again, a slow grin crossing his face.

"I know that grin," Porter said, "what're ya up ta, Andy?"

Havisham just grinned wider. "There are a couple of gentlemen in town, with more of my money in their pockets than I'd like. They could do with being taken down a peg or two. I believe that they have more than a little of your money in their pockets as well."

"More'n I can really afford," Porter said with a grimace. "Ya gonna introduce'em ta him?"

"I do believe that they promised me a chance to win my money back. I think I'll just invite him to join us. I'll play a couple of hands then bow out."

"Ya think that he can beat those two sharps?"

"I have ten dollars that says he takes them to the cleaners," Havisham said. "Orin would not have warned me against playing him unless he was almighty good." 

"Yer on. Those two are cheats. Ain't caught them cheating, but they're cheats right enough!" Carl said angrily. He had lost more than he could really afford to when he had sat in on a game trying to figure out how they were cheating.

*******

Ezra took Chaucer to the livery that he had used the last time that he had been to Red Bluff, unfortunately it was full up. A silver dollar later and one of the horses had been evicted to the corral and Chaucer was settled in one of the nicer stalls, one that was slightly larger than most of the stalls.

He hated to have to bribe the stable hand, but he had told Vin that Chaucer would be there, and he didn't want to have to make the long walk up to the camp to tell him that he had had to find other accommodations for his horse.

He chose one of the smaller saloons to have lunch at then checked into the hotel, paying for the night in advance. Once in the room he took off his coat and carefully hung it on the dressing valet. Removing the Colt Conversion from the shoulder holster he lay it on the bedside table. He took off the Remington and hung that rig on the bedpost. Removing his boots, he drew the Remington out of its holster and lay down on the bed. He scooted over to the middle of the bed then popped the derringer out of its rig and into his hand. With the Remington in his left hand and the derringer in his right he lifted his head from the bed. First he sighted down the barrel of the Remington towards the door, then turning his head he sighted on the window with the derringer, fixing their positions in his mind. Anyone trying to come through either would get a surprise. He might not hit them with the first shot, but he'd come close enough to make them duck and give him time to roll off the bed and get a better aim.

He lay back on the bed, relaxing with the comforting weight of a gun in each hand.

He would sleep until sundown, then head out for Miz Emmaline's Fancy House.

He smiled at the memories of the last time that he and Vin had been at Miz Emmaline's. It would be good to spend the night there with Vin again. In Four Corners they had to be very discrete but here, they could be as noisy as they wanted, as he wanted. It was always difficult for him to keep quiet, to not let his pleasure be known to the whole world when Vin and he made love. Miz Emmaline's was a solid brick building with solid interior walls that kept noise from traveling.

He drifted off to sleep with his lips curved in a small smile.

*******

It was full dark when he awoke. A look at his watch said that he had overslept by nearly two hours. Vin would have already moved Chaucer up to the dry camp and be at Miz Emmaline's waiting for him.

Oh, well it couldn't be helped. 

Perhaps riding most of the night last night to arrive well before they needed to hadn't been the best plan. Still with six hours sleep under his belt, he felt well-rested and ready to play all night if need be, so the couple of hours extra sleep hadn't gone amiss. It was doubtful that Vin was worried yet. He knew that Ezra had had only a half a dozen hours sleep since they had risen for morning patrol yesterday morning, over thirty-six hours ago

He washed his face, combed his hair and put on his boots and coat. Smoothing the lay of the coat, he checked his guns then picked up his carpetbag and saddlebags and headed out. He'd check them at Miz Emmaline's. If he had to make a strategic withdrawal and leave them behind, Miz Emmaline would quietly send them back to him in Four Corners. 

There was a reason why he cultivated friendships with women of all stations. Most men overlooked and discounted women, ignoring their intelligence and strengths regardless of their social standing. Ezra, however, had had Maude as a mother and he had learned at an early age just how smart, tough, canny and sometimes downright ruthless a woman could be. He had also learned that women appreciated a man that treated them with respect while also treating them as equals. Particularly one that wasn't always after the one thing that most men were always after. 

Miz Emmaline was a friend as were any number of her girls. He treated them like ladies and equals and they responded with loyalty and affection. 

Travis and Larabee wondered how he knew so much about what was going on in the territory. It was simple, he was on a first name basis with not just half the working girls in the territory, but the madams as well, not to mention waitresses, bartenders, store clerks, and hotel maids all over the territory. The little people who heard everything but were ignored by almost everyone. A few manners and a good tip went a long way with the little people.  
Manners, grandmother had said, cost you nothing and are never wasted. Always say, 'please' and 'thank you' and address people by their names. Talk to people, never at them. 

Simple rules that had served him well. They had allowed him to set up and run one of the most effective spy rings of the war. Of course the memory exercises that Maude had taught him as a child when she was teaching him to play cards had been an immense help as well, allowing him to keep track of his people without ever having to write anything down about them. Which meant that when the war was over, he and his people had just ghosted away, never to even be suspected as spies. A good thing considering that they were on the losing side and that most of his 'operatives' were women.

He trotted down the stairs and strolled across the lobby. Outside he worked his way down the street, in the opposite direction from Miz Emmaline's. He made quick stops at several saloons, chatting briefly with the bartenders and a few hostesses before crossing the street and working his way up to Miz Emmaline's.

He sighed quietly as he stepped into the front parlor of Miz Emmaline's. The thick walls and heavy draperies of the room deadened the noise from the street. Miz Emmaline had built to last. Unlike the majority of the houses along the street, her establishment was built of brick and even the interior walls were thick, built to contain noise. That may have had more to do with what went on behind some of those walls but none the less, the house was blessedly quiet compared to others on the street.

Miz Emmaline came to greet him herself, kissing his cheek and whispering that Vin was in the main salon, then stepping back and telling her butler to see to it that Ezra's bags were taken care of.

"Should Mister Tanner and I need to depart abruptly, you will make arrangements to get my bags back to me, won't you, darling?" Ezra asked the comely redheaded madam with a smile.

"Of course, my dearest boy. Although I would hope that you and Vin might be able to stay at least one night."

"I hope for that as well, as we need to talk. Events have transpired that may require some…adjustments to our relationship. Nothing bad I assure you, just minor adjustments to accommodate a change in mine and Vin's lives."

"I am intrigued. Make sure that you manage to stay," she said giving him a hug. 

"I shall endeavor to do so. Could you take a message to Vin? We are being rather discreet tonight."

"Certainly," Emmaline said.

"Tell him that I apologize for being tardy. It seems I was rather more fatigued than I thought I was. There is no cause for alarm, and I am ready to play for as long as necessary to meet our goal. Oh, and my name tonight is Ethan Winthrop, an attorney from Black Rock."

She nodded then signaled one of her girls to come over, "Melony," she said quietly, "escort Mister Winthrop to the gaming room and introduce him around." She stressed the last name.

"It'll be my pleasure, Emma," Melony said with a smile linking her arm through Ezra's, "You haven't been around in a while, Ezra," she said familiarly. "When I saw Vin, I was hoping that you would be here, too. Now, how would you like me to introduce you?"

"You may introduce me as Ethan or Mister Winthrop, an attorney from Black Rock."

"Ooooh, playing more than one type of game tonight, are we?" she giggled, knowing that using a different name meant that he was planning to walk away with a whole lot of someone else's money and didn't want them to know where he was actually from. Snuggling close to him she smiled up at him, "Ethan Winthrop, attorney from Black Rock it is."

Ezra let her cling to him as he slowly made his way around the room, checking out each table, seeing who was there that he knew, what the table stakes were and how the pots looked. 

One nice thing about gambling in a bawdy house, half the men there were using false names and no one who knew who he was, would be likely to challenge his alias. He spotted Judge Havisham and sheriff Porter at one of the tables and drifted that way.

If anyone were to challenge his alias it would be the sheriff. He had, after all, introduced himself to the man as Ezra Standish. He made certain to approach the table from an angle that allowed both men the opportunity to see him coming.

Neither gave any indication of ever having seen him before.

Well now, that was interesting. 

He drifted closer, stopping only long enough to help himself to a drink from a tray that one of the hostesses was carrying past him. She shook a finger at him, but smiled as he winked at her, tipping the glass towards her to make sure that she knew that he'd taken one of the whiskey glasses that were filled with tea for the hostesses.

It was a subtle signal, but she would know that when he sat down at one of the tables, she was to make sure that he got tea instead of whiskey. One thing about being raised in saloons and bawdy houses was knowing how things worked. The hostesses seldom actually drank whiskey.

He slowly circled the table, sipping at his drink, not appearing to be paying too much attention to the game but actually watching closely. After a few minutes he moved on to the next table then drifted back.

The Judge looked up, "Hello, Mel. Whose your friend?"

The hair on the back of Ezra's neck stood up. Something was definitely up. The Judge knew that he was one of Travis' men and Sheriff Porter knew exactly who he was. Porter appeared to be quite friendly with the Judge which meant that the Judge knew exactly who he was, but both of them were acting as if they had never seen him before.

The Judge continued to look up at Ezra, but the sheriff was now looking at the two men on the other side of the table, both dressed in funeral black like a matched pair of undertakers.

Ezra gave a small bow, "Ethan Winthrop, attorney-at-law out of Black Rock and you sir, are? If they wanted to pretend they had never met him, so be it.

"Judge Havisham, and this is Sheriff Porter on my right and to my left, His Honor the Mayor, Ben Lakeland. Across the table are two gentlemen representing the railroad, Mister Neel and Mister O'Dowl." 

He paused long enough to give the Mayor a significant look then continued, "Would you care to join us? Ben was just saying that he's lost about all he can afford for the night."

"Hummmm," Ezra said, stalling as he added up the clues. Three prominent townsmen losing to a pair of strangers, or at least relative newcomers, two newcomers who look enough alike to be brothers but using different last names. No doubt the Judge and Sheriff believed the newcomers to be cheats but had not been able to prove it. "Perhaps in a bit. I've not had supper yet and was about to avail myself of the lovely buffet that Miz Emmaline has out."

He stepped back and drew Melony in close again, turning to go. He could feel eyes on his back as he made his way back out of the room. As soon as they were out of sight of the room, he slipped free of Melony's grasp. 

"Darling, I need you to find Vin and give him a message. Tell him to take one of the girls and set a watch on the Judge's table until I return. Tell him to pay particular attention to the matched pair of black birds, he'll know who I mean when he sees them. Tell him that I want to know if they are cheating and how." He paused then gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to find Miz Emmaline, come find me after you deliver the message to Vin."

A moment later he was tapping on the door to Miz Emmaline's office. The young woman that helped her with her correspondence opened the door and turned to announce him.

Emmaline must have told her to let him in, as she stepped aside, let him pass then closed the door behind him.

"Is something wrong, Ezra?"

"I need to know, have you said anything to the Judge or the Sheriff concerning me?"

"Of course not!" she said, indignantly

"I did not think that you would but, then why are they trying to get me into a game with them and a pair of black birds named Neel and O'Dowl?"

"Those two!" Emmaline said in loathing. "They claim to work for the railroad, but I haven't seen any proof of it. All I've seen them do is gamble, drink and insult my girls. They've been in town for a week and a half. They come here every night to gamble but that is all they do, except drink and treat my girls like servants."

"They don't visit with your girls?"

"No, if it weren't for the gambling and drinking, I'd think that they were preachers," Emmaline snapped.

"Are they cheating?"

"Everyone thinks so, but no one has been able to catch them." 

"But why do they want me in the game?"

"Andy has a letter from Judge Travis. I didn't see much of it, but I do believe that it may have been a warning about you."

"Judge Travis warned Judge Havisham about me?"

"I believe so, but all I saw was the name 'Standish' and the words 'don't play', I'm just guessing that it was a warning not to play poker with you."

Ezra gave a small snort, "Let me get this straight, Travis warns Havisham not to play poker with me, so Havisham decides to set me up to play against a pair of card cheats that he has not been able to prove are card cheats."

"That sounds like something that Andy would do. So, are you leaving?"

"Good Lord, no!" Ezra said with a grin, "I haven't had a good game of cheater's poker in over a year. I came here to win money. If I can do that and get on Judge Havisham's good side while skinning a couple of cheats, well, hallelujah and amen! Let me at them!" 

*******

It was almost an hour later that Ezra returned to the gaming room. He had taken his time at the buffet then sent Melony for Vin's report on the two men at the table with the Judge and the Sheriff.

According to Vin the two men were holding out cards. O'Dowl was tucking them in his left sleeve and Neel either into his right boot or right jacket pocket. They were smooth, almost as good at sleight of hand as Ezra was, according to Vin, but they weren't good enough that Vin couldn't spot them with his eagle-eyes, especially since Ezra had long since taught him exactly what to look for. 

Knowing going in that the two men were cheating, and relatively sure that the Judge and Sheriff were both hoping that he could expose them, Ezra was sure that he could cheat as needed with no consequences, at least not legal ones.

When Ezra and Melony casually strolled back over to the table, the piles of money in front of His Honor the Mayor and the Sheriff were both noticeably smaller. The Judge appeared to have been holding his own.

Havisham looked up when Ezra stopped beside his chair, "Well, Winthrop," he said, "ready to try your hand?"

Ezra gave the table a doubtful look, "The stakes look rather high for me. What are they?"

"You need five hundred dollars to sit in," one of the black birds as Ezra had dubbed them said, coldly.

"Hummm," Ezra stalled.

"If you don't have enough on you, I could spot you a couple of hundred, just until the bank opens in the morning," Havisham said.

Really? Ezra thought, you must want me in this game very badly. Just how much money have those two taken off of you?

"Oh, it's not that I do not have the money on me, it's just that I've never played with any of you, do not actually know any of you… I mean, how do I know that this is… well, a  
respectable game?" he asked, widening his eyes innocently even as he stressed the word 'respectable' making it plain that he was asking if the game was honest.

Vin, who was standing across the table behind one of the black birds turned away, suddenly having a coughing fit. Christ! Ez was laying it on thick.

Sheriff Porter spoke up, "Don't reckon ya could find a more respectable game seein's how, the town sheriff and a federal judge are sitting at the table along with the mayor and a couple of fellas from the railroad."

"Indeed," Havisham assured him, "this is a most respectable game." He put the same stress on the word as Ezra had, indicating that he thought that the game was anything but honest.

"Well, then, I suppose…" Ezra said, seeming to waver, as he drew a thick roll of bills from his coat pocket, "That in light of that, that I could sit in on a hand or two. That is if y'all have room at the table."

Ezra noted the look that passed between Neel and O'Dowl at the sight of the wad of money.

"You can have my seat," the mayor said, obviously relieved to be leaving the table. "If I don't get home soon, the wife will have the rolling pin out to greet me."

He quickly vacated his seat and Ezra took it, laying the thick roll of cash in front of him. He looked at the cards laying on the table in front of him then pushed them away, "Perhaps we could have a fresh deck."

"Certainly," Havisham said, turning to call to the bartender, "Henry! Bring us a fresh deck!" before either of the two black birds could object.

When one of the hostesses brought the deck over, Havisham took them then handed them to Ezra, "Since you just joined us, why don't you deal?"

"Why thank you, sir," Ezra said and breaking the seal on the box, quickly riffled the cards then began an awkward shuffle, being sure to fumble them a couple of times.

The two black birds exchanged looks that plainly said, 'What a pigeon, let's pluck him'. 

Four and a half hours later they weren't looking anywhere near as happy to have him at the table, given that he now had the largest pile of money sitting in front of him and there were several thousand dollars in the pot in the center of the table.

O'Dowl, who had just gone all in, dead certain that his full house was the winning hand, stared at the Royal Flush that Ezra had just laid out on the table and leaped to his feet with a snarled, "You're cheating!" grabbing for his gun.

Ezra triggered his derringer and put a bullet through O'Dowl's wrist even as he pulled the Colt Conversion out of its shoulder holster and pressed it to the side of Neel's neck.

"Now, now, gentlemen, while I must admit that I was indeed cheating," Ezra said, "it was, I assure you, purely self-defense given that the two of you were cheating long before I sat down at the table. Sheriff, if you would kindly check his left sleeve, I believe you will find at least two cards tucked up there. As for his partner, Mister Neel, I believe that he has one in his right boot and another in his right coat pocket."

It didn't take Porter long to find the hidden cards. He quickly summoned a couple of deputies and they started hustling the two men out, on the way to the jail, O'Dowl complaining bitterly about his injured wrist. 

Porter instructed one of the deputies to send for the railroad's doctor to tend the man once they were locked up.

Ezra stood up and began gathering up the money from the pot, automatically straightening and sorting it even as he told Porter, "May I suggest that you confiscate any moneys that they may have in their possession to use to reimburse anyone who has played with them since they arrived in town."

He peeled off several bills and tossed them down in front of the sheriff, "There is the five hundred fifty-seven dollars that you lost after I sat down at the table." 

He peeled off a significantly larger sheaf of bills and held them out to the Judge, "And here is the one-thousand three-hundred forty-three dollars that you lost after I sat in on the game."

He folded the rest of the bills and slipped them into his pocket. "Ah am keeping the rest for services rendered," he said boldly, looking the Judge in the eyes. "Now, sir, perhaps you could tell me just exactly what it was that Travis told you about me in that letter that led you to maneuver me into this game."

Havisham laughed, "He told me not to play poker with you, that you would skin me alive… and to make damn sure that you didn't get anywhere near any dynamite that might be lying around."

"Dammit!" Ezra huffed, "that man never wants me to have any fun!"

*******  
Early hours of the morning,  
Saturday, January 7, 1871  
*******

After the two cheats were hauled off to jail, and the Sheriff and Judge Havisham had called it a night, Ezra and Vin decided to stay on at Emmaline's at least for the night. With Miz Emmaline's agreement they went to get the horses, since they didn't need to ride out, and stabled them at Miz Emmaline's with her horses where Miz Emmaline's son, Kyle, who ran the stables and took care of the horses, could spoil them.

Finally they closed the door to the suite that they usually rented when they stayed at Miz Emmaline's and prepared for bed.

Ezra dug through the carpetbag that Miz Emmaline had returned to him and got out his nightshirt, changing into it as he and Vin talked, and Vin undressed. When they could Vin preferred to sleep naked, while Ezra preferred to wear his nightshirt. Since Vin was mighty partial to Ezra in a nightshirt it worked out well for them both.

"Ya won a heap of money offa them cheats. We gonna need ta keep taking the weekends out of town?" Vin asked.

"We don't need to," Ezra assured him, "however, I would like to."

"'Xplain."

"Including the thousand that I brought with me, I have in my possession sixty-seven-hundred-forty-five dollars at this moment. The one thousand that I started with and an additional two hundred along with the thousand that I left with Inez, goes to purchase the saloon. One thousand goes to enter the Bitter Creek Poker Tournament next month. That leaves forty-five-hundred-forty-five dollars. I know that sounds like a lot, but I would like to keep one thousand of that as operating expenses for the saloon, which would leave thirty-five-hundred-forty-five dollars."

"Still a heap of money, nine or ten year's wages, considering that we get paid a dollar a day."

"Indeed, but we need to think ahead. As we expand our business interests in Four Corners, we are going to be spending less and less time as peacekeepers. Oh, we'll still ride out when we're needed, but daily patrols, and jail duty? Anyone can do that. Hell, Missus Travis has been known to cover the jail when we all had to leave town and we had someone locked up. By continuing to take the weekends off and playing in the larger towns, we will accomplish two things. We will get the other five accustomed to our not being there all the time, particularly on the weekends and we will build up a reserve of money. I truly believe that I will win the tournament, however it is best not to count on my doing so."

"Ya ain't said much about why ya wanted us ta form that company ya drew up the papers on. This about that? Ya got plans to buy more'n the saloon, ain't ya?"

"Yes, the hotel behind the saloon is standing empty and is for sale as is the empty building next to it. The widow Broadhurst who runs the boarding house directly across the alley from it wants to go back east. She has been looking for a buyer, but no one wants to meet her price."

"An' she's a stubborn ole bat, won't take no less'n what she wants fer it." He sat down beside Ezra on the edge of the bed, thinking out loud. "There's an empty building next ta tha boarding house and the cigar store is barely hanging on. That empty building connects ta the cigar store. Ya could cut a door an' make it one place. Iff'n ya could get Digger Dave's ya'd have that whole section. That what ya got in mind?"

"Close enough. Although if I win the poker tournament, I am considering the empty building on the other side of the cigar store and the old hotel as well."

"That's that whole end of town on the saloon side of the street," Vin said. "Ya think that there'll be 'nough money for that?

"Yes, I do. There are over three dozen gamblers invited to the tournament. If even one third shows up there will be at least ten thousand dollars in the pot. Every player that sits in the game brings another thousand dollars to the pot and it is winner takes all," Ezra said with a smirk as he lay back on the bed and pulled Vin down with him. "But I believe that we have better things to do right now than talk. It's after two o'clock in the morning and I know you well enough to know that you will be up at the crack of dawn, so we'd best be thinking about getting some sleep."

Vin chuckled, "Might be up at the crack a dawn, but ya know I won't be leaving ya in this big ole bed by yerself."

"I know but that just means that you'll be waking me up," Ezra chided.

"I'll let ya go back ta sleep after. Yer gonna wanna play some more poker tonight ain'tcha?"

"Indeed," Ezra said, "I'll leave the sixty-five hundred with you. Take the two hundred-forty-five dollars and find some smaller games in the afternoon then see if the Judge will go for a high stakes game later in the evening. Havisham played a good game tonight. I'd like to see how he does when no one is cheating."

"You'll still whip him," Vin said before leaning in for a kiss.

Ezra chuckled, wrapping his arms around Vin's neck, pulling him down and deepening the kiss.

Vin ran his hand up under the nightshirt that Ezra had changed into and stroked across his stomach. 

Ezra groaned loudly and arched up pushing himself up against Vin, rubbing his cock against Vin's hip as he did so.

Vin chuckled low and dirty. He loved it when they were somewhere that Ezra could just let go and express his desire and pleasure as loudly as he pleased. He shifted to cover his lover and reached across to the bedside table, knowing that there would be a tin of grease there.

Emma always made sure that the room they stayed in had everything that they might need.

He kissed Ezra again and pressed the tin of grease into his hand. 

"Prep yerself, Ez. I wanna watch you get yerself ready for me," Vin said rolling to the side where he could watch as Ezra greased his hole and worked his fingers in it, stretching it to accommodate Vin's cock.

Ezra moaned and licked his lips as he sat up and wrenched the lid off the tin, fumbling it in his eagerness to prepare himself for Vin. Then he dipped his fingers into the grease and slid them between his legs reaching for his hole and slipping first one then two finger inside to stretch himself. He whimpered as he thrust the fingers as deep as they would go, twisting them to stretch his hole. 

He gasped and worked his hole, his eyes locked on Vin's eager face as his lover watched him prepare himself for him.

It was wonderful to be somewhere safe, where he and Vin could make love without having to worry about how much noise they made or about being disturbed, even if he had had to pay extra for the guard outside their door.

Vin licked his lips as he watched, his cock rising just from the sight of Ezra working his fingers into himself.

When he thought Ezra had stretched himself enough, he reached for his lover, flipping him over on his stomach.

Ezra came to his hands and knees eagerly, pushing his hips back towards Vin.  
Vin took his time smearing the grease on his cock then moved up behind Ezra and let his cock bump Ezra's cheeks. 

Ezra whimpered and pushed his ass back towards Vin, a frustrated whimper escaping him.

Vin chuckled, "Tell me what you want, Babe."

"Vin," Ezra whined.

"Tell me and I'll give it to you."

"I want your cock. Please, Vin, please. Put it in me!"

"And do what, Babe?" 

"Fuck me! Please, for God's sake. Fuck me!" The last was a frustrated shout.

Vin grinned. It always took Ezra a little while after they got here to remember that he could make all the noise that he wanted, that he could beg and plead and shout out what he wanted, that he didn't have to be quiet because no one here cared that he loved having Vin's cock inside him, loved being buggered.

Vin rubbed his cock along Ezra's crack, then slowly pushed the head inside his hole until it was fully seated. He rested a minute letting Ezra adjust to him before beginning to stroke.

Once Vin was thrusting easily, Ezra gave a deep groan, twisted, then lunged backwards driving Vin's cock up inside himself hard and fast, shrieking his pleasure as the cock rammed his prostate. 

Vin picked up his pace, fucking Ezra relentlessly.

They seldom indulged in the type of rough sex that Ezra sometimes preferred because Ezra simply could not be quiet during it and back home being quiet was imperative. 

It only took a few minutes before they were both climaxing, Vin buried deep inside Ezra and Ezra spewing his seed across the bed without his cock ever having been touched.

Ezra collapsed under Vin, letting out a deep sigh. 

Vin lay atop him for a moment before kissing the back of his shoulder and slowly withdrawing his cock from Ezra's hole and rolling off the bed to get a wet cloth to wipe them off with.

He also brought a towel to fold over the wet spot that Ezra had made on the bed.

Ezra sighed and rolled on his back, moving off the wet spot and letting Vin clean him up. 

Vin covered the wet spot and then tossed the cloth aside and tucked Ezra under the covers, slipping in with him. He pulled Ezra into his arms. 

Ezra came easily and snuggled into him, laying his head on Vin's shoulder and throwing one leg over Vin's legs. 

"Love you," Ezra murmured contentedly.

"Love ya, too," Vin said, bending his head to press a kiss to the top of Ezra's head.

******

When they awoke a few hours later, they cuddled together, exchanging kisses and talking quietly before Vin began kissing his way down Ezra's body to take Ezra's cock into to his mouth.

Ezra moaned and slipped a hand into Vin's hair, but not pulling on it just resting his hand on Vin's scalp.

Vin chuckled around Ezra's cock and Ezra arched a bit before forcing himself to pull back and not thrust.

Vin wrapped one hand around the base of Ezra's cock and took just the head into his mouth, slipping his tongue under the foreskin and swirling it around the head as he pumped the cock with his hand.

Knowing that with Vin's hand wrapped around the base of his cock to keep it from going too deep, he didn't have to worry about choking Vin, Ezra began to thrust.

Vin sucked harder, then slipped one finger into Ezra's hole reaching for his sweet spot. Finding it, he rubbed it and Ezra came with a loud cry. 

Smiling, Vin kissed his way back up Ezra's body, then claimed his mouth in a deep kiss. Pulling back he placed small kisses along Ezra's jawline and down his throat. "Love you," he whispered.

Ezra smiled back at him, his eyes heavy lidded and half asleep, "Love you, Vin. Always you."

Vin kissed him again then lifting Ezra's legs and draping them over his shoulders, he pressed his cock into Ezra's hole and pushed inside, beginning to stroke slowly and gently.

Vin took his time, making tender love to his partner, not worrying about coming himself, only about pleasing Ezra. When Ezra finally came again, Vin withdrew slowly and letting Ezra's legs down, bent to kiss him again, saying, "Go on back to sleep, Ez. I'll get you up in a bit."

Rising from the bed as Ezra snuggled back down, pulling Vin's pillow to him to hug, Vin found a clean cloth and wet it, bringing it back to the bed to wipe Ezra off with it. By the time he had cleaned Ezra up and tucked him in, Ezra was snoring gently.

*******  
Around sunrise,  
Still Saturday, January 7,1871  
******* 

Ezra awoke slowly, smiling at the feel of Vin's hands running gently over his hips, slowly rucking up the silk nightshirt that he wore. His breathing hitched, just enough to tell Vin that he was awake.

Vin shifted, moving to lay partially on top of Ezra, leaning in to kiss him and murmur, "I ever tell ya how much I like this nightgown a'yers?"

"Nightshirt," Ezra corrected automatically.

"Naw, ain't no nightshirt this fancy an' frilly. This thing's a nightgown, all silk an' lace an' fancy stitch work. Prettiest thing I ever did see an' seein' ya in it, well that's a mighty fine sight. Love the way it feels when I gather it up in my hands, slidin' it up outta my way, it's so soft an' warm, feels almost as fine as yer skin."

Ezra moaned. It wasn't often that Vin felt the need to talk when they were making love but when he did something about the combination of his raspy voice and the gentle touch of his hands drove Ezra wild. He arched up, trying to get more contact, but Vin sat back on his haunches, tossing the covers back so that he could see Ezra in all his glory.

"Love lookin' at ya. Love that you can get hard as a rock just from a few touches and the sound of my voice." Vin trailed one edge of the silk nightgown across Ezra's cock and chuckled wickedly as he watched the half hard organ rise to full erection, just from the touch. He pushed the silk garment higher, rucking it across Ezra's chest, making sure that it rubbed enticingly across Ezra's already erect nipples.

Ezra whimpered in frustration and arched again, "Please," he begged, "please, Vin!"

Vin's grin widened, "What do ya want, Love? This?" he asked bending to catch one of the hard nubs between his teeth and tug on it.

"Yes! Oh, God! Yes! That." Ezra babbled as he arched up again, grabbing Vin and pulling him closer, this time managing to rub his cock against the thigh that Vin had between his legs.

"Or this?" Vin continued trailing kisses down Ezra's chest and across his stomach until he reached Ezra's cock and took it into his mouth. 

Ezra came almost immediately, screaming his pleasure out loud.

Vin swallowed the salty come then kissed his way back up Ezra's body to claim his mouth. It was good to be able to hear how much Ezra enjoyed their lovemaking, to be somewhere that he didn't have to muffle Ezra's cries because they couldn't afford to get caught.

They kissed leisurely for a few moments then Ezra asked, "What time is it?"

"Early. Smells like cook just put the coffee on. Ain't smelled the bacon yet so it'll be a bit yet till breakfast is ready."

"Good. I want you to take me. I want to shout my pleasure to the world, shriek and scream and not have to bury my face in a pillow to hide now much I love you and love how you make love to me."

"I wanna hear you. Love the way you beg for more, love how much you love havin' me in you. Be nice ta have a room like this at home. Might be we could ask Miz Emma how ta build one."

"That is a marvelous idea, but later, darling. We should enjoy this one while we have it," Ezra said, reaching for him again. "Make love to me."

For the next hour or so, it was a very good thing that they were in a brothel and that their room was pretty much soundproof.

*******

By the time that their guard tapped on their door and told them that breakfast was ready if they wanted it, they were up, had washed up and dressed for the day. Ezra would no doubt take a lengthy nap in the afternoon, but he wanted to check out the town during the daylight.

They had talked some the night before, while lying abed. Ezra had said as they drifted off to sleep in each other's arms after making love that they needed to talk to Emmaline, explain to her about Inez and the partnership and their company and how that would affect their dealings with Emmaline and her girls.

Vin had agreed with him.

Besides with the way things were looking, they were going to be run ragged between the peacekeeping and getting everything that Ezra wanted to do businesswise, done.

"Ez," Vin said as they dressed, "ya said that ya wanted ta talk to Miz Emmaline this morning before her and the girls headed to bed."

Ezra replied, "Ah did, didn't Ah?"

"Best to get it over with. Emma deserves to know that we won't be coming round much at all from now on an' why."

"How do you think that she will react?"

"Hard ta tell… but I reckon she's 'nough of a realist ta know that things change. We wasn't ever gonna be permanent customers."

Ezra nodded, saying, "Yes. Most woman can be quite pragmatic about such things, working girls even more so than the 'good women'."

"What's pragmatic?"

"Practical, realistic, matter-of-fact, unlikely to have a fit," Ezra said.

"That last one in the dictionary?"

Ezra laughed, "No, but it fits. We'd best head downstairs. By this time cook should be serving the morning repast."

He chuckled as there was a knock on the door and the man that Emmaline had assigned as their bodyguard opened the door just enough to call out, "Miz Emma says iff'n y'all want breakfast ya better get on down there."

Vin laughed, "Perfect timing." 

*******

When they appeared in the brothel kitchen, joining Emmaline and the girls for breakfast, Mel gave Ezra a pout, "Was hoping y'all would have let me'n Sassy join y'all last night."

"I do apologize, my dear," Ezra said, "but that is part of what Vin and I need to talk to Emmaline and you ladies about."

"You did say that things would need to change, something about changes in your lives," Emmaline said.

"Mister Tanner and I have made a commitment to a young lady in Four Corners," Ezra informed them. "Inez is a very dear friend and has been for some time now. She has just recently found herself in a family way. The father is gone, and she does not want him back. When we learned of her… condition, we offered her any help that we could give. During the discussion it became apparent that we three had some common goals. We are all very independent-minded individuals. She does not wish to marry since doing so would make her unable to legally own property in her own name. All three of us wish to put down roots in Four Corners. All three of us wish to become business owners. 

"Therefore we three have entered into a partnership, both personal and business. We will help her raise her child, taking on all the duties and responsibilities of fathers. We will live together and work together. While Vin and I are very fond of her and she of both of us, exactly how far the personal part of the relationship will go has not as yet been decided. None-the-less, I doubt that we will be getting over here to Red Bluff for quite a while in any event. I need to win as much money as I can in the next month and a half. While I appreciate what I won here last night, I doubt that your townspeople would appreciate my winning like that every weekend. We already have plans to be in Black Rock next weekend and Ridge City the weekend after that. We haven't decided yet between Bristol, Long Bridge, Talmadge, Benning and Evergreen for the other weekends before the Poker Tournament in Bitter Creek."

"You said that the partnership was both personal and business. What kind of business?" Emmaline asked.

"When we return to Four Corners, we will be buying back the Standish Tavern, only this time it will be bought through the partnership and no one will know that it is Inez, Vin and myself that are buying it. There is also a hotel and a boarding house that I have my eye on," Ezra said. 

Emmaline nodded then said, "You said that our relationship would change but not in a bad way so what else is going to change?"

"You know that I am always delighted to hear any news that you have when I stop by and that I am willing to pay you when you send me word of something that you believe I might be interested in."

"Yes," Emmaline said, curiosity coloring the word.

"I thought we might expand on that. Red Bluff is growing by leaps and bounds since the railroad arrived. When we came in yesterday, we had no idea how large the town had grown, how much it had changed. You would send me a report every week on the changes occurring here and any other news that you think I might be interested in, anything to do with politics, business and financial news, the arrival of noteworthy persons, rumors concerning where the railroad is going from here, etcetera and I would send back payment for the information."

"How much money?" Emmaline demanded.

"I was thinking five dollars per week for general information with bonuses for information that turns out to be particularly useful."

"That's not much."

"Your girls already hear such information and discuss it with you. The only extra work would be for you to write it down and send it to me on the weekly stage and I would pay more if I am able to use the information to increase my income. For instance if you mention that a certain wealthy gentleman will be on the stage with your letter and I am able to engage him in a game and win a hundred dollars off him I would send you ten percent, that is ten dollars, as a finder's fee. The more I make from your information, the more you receive." 

He tilted his head and smiled charmingly at her, "If I were to win a thousand dollars off him, you would get a hundred dollars. However, just the five dollars a week, without any bonuses would be two-hundred-sixty dollars a year, a significant amount of money."

Emmaline thought a moment then nodded, "Acceptable, on one condition. You send me a report from Four Corners each month with the same type of information about your town as I am sending you about Red Bluff."

"Agreed," Ezra said.

"You're not going to want me to pay you for the information about Four Corners?" Emmaline asked suspiciously.

"No, call it an incentive to keep up the correspondence," Ezra said. "Now, perhaps you could give me some information at this time." 

He withdrew a folded piece of paper from his inside coat pocket and spread it out on the table. "This is a map that I drew of Red Bluff, when last we were here, it is now seriously outdated as the town has added a second street parallel to the main street and several side streets in the three months since then. I will be taking a stroll around town this morning and will update the map after, so that it shows the new streets and buildings. I will number the buildings so that, if you are agreeable, you can write down everything that you can think of concerning the buildings and businesses, the owner's names, who works there, etc. including the names of any business that I am unable to find a name to go with."

"You are planning to pay for this?"

"Yes, how much, however, is dependent on how much information you are able to add to what I am able to discover on my own. I believe that ten dollars is a good starting point, with more forthcoming dependent on the amount of information you are able to add," Ezra bargained.

Emmaline nodded, "That should be enough if you are drawing the map yourself. Will I need to write down the information or will I tell you what I know, and you write it down?"

Ezra considered for a long moment then said, "I believe that I shall write it down. Mother taught me a form of cypher that I can write and read easily but no one else can read. If you wrote it down, I would have to transcribe it into the cypher in any event. It will save time if I simply write it out as you dictate it."

Emmaline chuckled, "Good, then I won't have to worry about writer's cramp. There is going to be a lot of information."

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original Characters appearing in this Chapter.
> 
> Judge Andrew Havisham, a friend of Judge Travis and the circuit judge for Red Bluff.
> 
> Sheriff Carl Porter, The town sheriff.
> 
> Ben Lakeland who is the town mayor.
> 
> Miz Emmaline, the owner of Miz Emmaline's Fancy House and a friend of Vin and Ezra's.
> 
> Melony and Sassy, two of Miz Emmaline's girls.
> 
> Ethan Winthrop an alias that Ezra is using. He is supposedly an attorney from Black Rock. Remember this name. Ethan will begin to develop a life of his own.
> 
> Neel and O'Dowl a pair of card cheats that Havisham sets Ezra up to play with in hopes that he can expose them.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vin and Ezra meet with some acquaintances and make some new friends. Ezra plays some poker and buys some land.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long folks. Real life continues to be annoying.

*******  
Saturday, January 7, 1871  
*******

After they finished their breakfast and the discussion with Emmaline and her girls, Vin and Ezra headed out to explore the changes in the town.

Miz Emmaline's Fancy House had, when last they had visited, stood on the last occupied lot at the east end on the east-west running main street of Red Bluff. Ezra had noted during their observation of the town Friday morning that several of the lots to her east were now occupied by tents with signs stuck-up out-front advertising all manner of things for sale, mainly beer and whiskey and miracle cure-alls.

Listening to the hubbub Ezra frowned, "She can't be happy about that."

"Yeah, good thing her house is solid 'nough ta block mosta the noise, else her and the girls wouldn't get a bit a rest," Vin agreed.

"It's not just that," Ezra said. "There is trouble enough around a brothel without these types of businesses drawing more. Emma is accustomed to dealing with the troubles that plague a house such as hers, but she has no way or authority to deal with the types of trouble that this miniature tent city will inspire."

Vin frowned, "Yer right. Places like this, there's gonna be heaps of drunks shooting off their guns, gettn' inta fights…"

"Beatings, robberies, and killings," Ezra added.

"Ya got any ideas how ta help her out?"

"I might, but I require more information before I can create a viable plan." He paused then went on, "Whatever I am able to come up with may require a monetary investment. The money that I am holding is no longer solely mine. It technically belongs to the company that we are forming, therefore I feel that I cannot make a decision about its use alone."

"Even though we ain't rightly made that company yet?" Vin asked.

"I intend the money for that purpose therefore I feel that I should act as if the partnership and company already exist until and unless Judge Travis informs us that he will not file the paperwork for us, and we must find another way to achieve our goal."

"Seems ta me that ya said that ya'd hold forty percent of the company and I'd own thirty percent. Reckon that's more'n enough ta out vote Inez's thirty percent so if ya hold out the twelve-hundred that we need ta buy the saloon, which ya've already promised Inez and the thousand fer the poker game in Bitter Creek that leaves the forty-five-hundred-forty-five that ain't actually been promised anywhere. I can hear yer plan and if I agree, then there really ain't no need fer 'Nez ta ever know ya had that extra money. Ain't like we expected ta win that much here."

"I would rather not start our relationship with her by lying to her," Ezra said ruefully.

"Then don't. Tell her that me'n you decided ta do it based on our seventy percent of the company," Vin said reasonably. "She might not particularly like it, but I reckon she'll understand that if we agreed on it, her thirty percent couldn't stop us doing it."

"I still feel badly that we cannot consult her first if we should decide to do something with the unspoken for part of the money."

"How about we talk about it some more after ya find out more about it all. Might not be anything ya can do. Ain't no need ta borrow trouble."

"You are correct, of course," Ezra said with a sigh, "One should never borrow trouble, the payback is hell."

"Come on then, let's go check the new street out. Find us a place ta sit where ya can draw it up and label anything that's got a name on it."

*******

By lunch time they had a pretty good idea of how the town was now laid out. Many of the lots on the new streets had tents set up on them, some were clearly temporary while the new owners were building more permanent structures. Some, however, were clearly of a transient persuasion not intended to last long, just there to take advantage of the town booming because it was the new railhead. When the railhead moved on so would they.

Seeing Judge Havisham and Sheriff Porter heading into the Grey Goose for lunch, Ezra nudged Vin in that direction. He wanted to talk to the two men.

When he and Vin stepped into the restaurant, Ezra was delighted to see that the Mayor had joined the Judge and the Sheriff along with another man that he had not yet met.

They had stepped inside and were looking around, hunting a table when Havisham said something to Porter and the sheriff stood up and called out, "Over here, Standish," waving them towards the table.

As they walked towards the table, Havisham stood up as well and helped Porter drag another of the small tables over and push them together to make a larger one, grabbing some extra chairs as well.

When Vin and Ezra reached the table, Havisham pushed out a chair for Ezra next to him and indicated that Vin should take the one across the table. 

Ezra frowned at that as it put Vin directly beside Porter and Ezra was concerned that the sheriff might recognize Vin from his wanted poster, but he decided that making a fuss would just draw unwanted attention so let it go.

"Gentlemen," Havisham, said expansively, "allow me to introduce you to the gentleman who finally exposed O'Dowl and Neel for the cheats that they are. This is Ezra Standish, one of Orin's regulators over in Four Corners and his partner, the Seven's tracker, Vin." He leaned towards Ezra and added, "Ezra, I believe you already know Carl, our sheriff and Ben, our mayor. The other gentleman is the town's banker Zachariah Hammersmith."

Zachariah shook his head at his friend, "You can call me Zach, gentlemen, it's a pleasure to meet you. How did you manage to spot how they were cheating, Mister Standish?"

"A pleasure to meet you as well, sir. As for how I knew what they were doing, you may thank Vin for that. If you'll recall, judge, I excused myself when you first asked me to sit in. I then sent Vin into the room to watch those two. He has quite remarkable eyesight and quickly spotted what they were doing. He sent one of the girls to report to me, so that when I sat down at the table, I knew exactly what to look for. After that it was simply a matter of cheating better than they did."

"Orin said that you were one of the best players he had ever seen and that he had never caught you cheating. I certainly never saw what you were doing last night," Havisham said, admiringly.

"You played quite well yourself, sir," Ezra assured him. "I'd rather like to see how well you do in an honest game."

"Well I wouldn't mind a chance to win some of that money you won last night so long as it is an honest game."

"My word of honor, sir, I will not cheat unless I catch you cheating first, of course, then it's self-defense," Ezra grinned easily.

Havisham laughed, "A smart man. You're on. Tonight at Miz Emmaline's then?"

"I shall be there," Ezra assured him.

"Good," Havisham said then, signaled to the waitress. "Annie, bring us steaks all around, on me." He grinned, addressing the entire table, "I believe that we deserve a bit of celebration after finally getting those two cheats in jail where they belong."

Once everyone had put in their orders for how they wanted their steaks, he said to the table at large, "Would you believe that those two had more than fifty thousand dollars in their room at the hotel. It's going to be impossible to find everyone that they have cheated to return that money to."

"I believe," Ezra said, "that Miz Emmaline told me that they played at her place every night, if that is the only place that they gambled, perhaps she and her girls could make a list of the people that they saw lose money to them and the approximate amounts. You could then contact as many as possible and return what you can. I doubt that you will be able to return it all. What is left could be used to give Miz Emmaline and her girls a reward for helping you locate as many as possible. After that you could put what is left into the town building fund. That way it will benefit as many people as possible."

"That is actually a very good idea. At the rate the town is growing we may need to buy up more land, for the township," Zach said.

"Speaking of the town and building," Ezra said leadingly, "I was wondering about investment opportunities. Perhaps some property…" 

"There are any number of lots available. Some with buildings and some without. Where were you thinking of?"

"Well, I was considering, the land just beyond Miz Emmaline's. It was all vacant when last I visited. Now however It seems to be occupied."

"Squatters," Zach said in disgust. "Carl runs them off and they come right back or more just like them shows up."

"So, who owns the land?" Ezra asked.

"It's part of the township. Those of us who invested in the town when it was being developed own it in partnership."

"What are you asking for it?" Ezra asked.

"Three hundred per lot," the banker said.

Ezra laughed, "Really, sir, for unimproved land? I don't think so."

"They are business lots and business is booming," Zach returned.

"Only because this is currently the railhead. When the railroad reaches Bristol, your boom will move with it. Granted having the railroad go through here will keep business good but this level of business won't last, and you know it. I'll give you a hundred per lot if and only if I can buy all five of the lots between Emmaline's and the edge of the township." 

"What will you do about the squatters?" Zach asked.

"If I own the property, I am within my rights to evict them, am I not, Judge?" Ezra asked the Judge calmly.

"Absolutely," Andrew said.

"And if you issue an eviction notice then, the sheriff and his deputies are required to serve it, at gun point if necessary. Vin and I will, of course, accompany you and your men, Sheriff Porter, to lend a hand if needed. You could also deputize a few extra men if you feel the need, I would be willing to pay them."

"How will you keep them from coming back?" Porter asked. "My men can't watch the place alla the time for you."

"I will hire armed guards, at least one of which will be a sniper, concealed with an excellent rifle to hand. Any one that sets foot on the property will get one warning shot then one wounding shot. If they still persist then my sniper will have orders to take a kill shot. Signs to that effect will be posted on every side of the property. I'm sure that once a few trespassers have been dragged off the property with bullet holes in them, the rest will get the idea that trespassing on my property is detrimental to their health."

"Who will be in charge of the rifleman when you are not here. I don't assume that you will be moving here, if you are going to continue to work for Orin?" Andrew said his voice rising in question towards the end.

"We will be continuing our current employment for the time being, however, we are moving towards becoming businessmen rather than hired guns. We will most likely continue to live in Four Corners as it has come to feel like home to us, but we will gradually withdraw from the day to day work of peacekeeping, only performing select duties."

"What kind of duties?" Carl asked.

"As both myself and Vin are fond of traveling and visiting other communities, we will begin to volunteer for duties such as the one that brought us here, the delivery of paperwork or other communications between Travis and the other judges in the area."

He smiled, just a quick upturn of the corner of his mouth and added, "In fact that is an idea for a business that Vin and I could run, a courier service, to deliver important or time sensitive documents, not only for the judicial system but for business owners as well. Anything light and easily carried on horseback that someone might not wish to entrust to the vagaries of the stage line."

"What would be the advantages of using such a service?" Zach asked.

"Speed fer one thing," Vin said quietly. "Stage has ta follow the road. I know ever nook and cranny of the land round here. Me'n Ez've got good, fast horses and we can cut cross country. Ya take the stage road an' it's better'n two days from here ta Four Corners. Stage takes an overnight stay at Peter's Station. We lit outta town Thursday afternoon and were sitting up on the ridge outside a here by mid-morning Friday. Course we rode most of the night, but we can do that. Stage'll stop for the night even when they got a full moon like we had Thursday night." 

"Security as well," Ezra added. "Two men on horseback can evade bandits and other miscreants much more easily than the stage. With the stage if you wish to attack it, you simply follow the road until you come up on it. But two men on horseback, men that know the country, you would have to have a lot of luck to even be able to find them."

"Yep," Vin said, "an' I'm a tracker, know how ta hide a trail if need be. I'm a real good shot with a rifle too and I'm teachin' Ez ta snipe. Somebody gets on our trail and we can't shake'em, we can sure 'nough slow them down."

Seeing the uneasy looks that they were getting at Vin's mention of possibly shooting people, Ezra soothed, "I doubt that it would be necessary to kill anyone. A wounded man will slow a group down more than a dead one will. Even if they elect to leave the wounded man behind, he will require tending, cutting their numbers by at least two people."

"That is however a discussion for another time, as at this time it is only an idea, and we seem to have gotten off topic," Ezra said. "The topic being, will you or will you not sell me the five lots between Miz Emmaline's and the edge of town?"

"One-hundred-fifty dollars per lot," Zach said.

Ezra shook his head, "One-hundred-twenty-five. Take it or leave it."

The four townsmen exchanged looks then Zach sighed and held out his hand across the table, "One hundred-twenty-five dollars per lot it is, but the two of you have to go along with Carl to run the squatters off and you are responsible for keeping them off of it."

"Agreed," Ezra said, reaching across the table to shake Zach's hand. "When can we pay and receive the deeds?"

"Ordinarily I don't do business on Saturday but seeing as how you did us a big favor exposing Neel and O'Dowl, I'm willing to make an exception for you. Give me a couple of hours to get the paperwork done then come around to the back of the bank and knock on the door. It opens directly into my office. I'll be there."

"Very well," Ezra said, "we will see you there. Now, if you will excuse us," he pushed back his chair and rose, "We have some other business to attend to."

*******

After leaving the Judge and his friends at the Grey Goose, Ezra and Vin began making the rounds of the saloons in town. 

First, they checked in with the ones that Ezra already communicated with regularly, talking with the bartenders, waitresses and the gamblers that were regulars at the saloons. When they finished that they headed for the newly built saloons and gambling houses.

Ezra had set his eye on a sturdy looking building that had a sign hanging out front declaring it to be "Conner's Wild Irish Rose Inn and Tavern".

Stepping in through the swinging doors, he looked around, admiring the long, elegant mahogany bar, the fine fixtures and noting the raised platform and the felt topped table there. Making his way to the bar he leaned against it, waiting for the bartender to notice them.

After a moment the man turned to eye him and said with a heavy Irish brogue, "Tis not serving we be. We be opening at sundown."

"That is fine, my good sir. I was wanting a word with the manager or owner," Ezra said.

"I be Conner O'Rourke. Tis the owner I am."

Ezra smiled but didn't say anything more for just a moment.

Conner started to move away, saying, "I be busy. There be much work ta be done 'ere I open tonight." 

"My apologies, I did not mean to waste your time. I was simply enjoying the sound of Ireland in your voice. 'Tas been quite a while since I've heard it sa clear. My grandmother was born an O'Malley in County Cork," he said, letting a bit of the old Irish accent that he had once worked so hard to get rid of slip out.

"I have also been admiring your Tavern. You seem to be building for the long haul. The building appears sound and the fixtures are first class. I was wondering if I might ask you for some advice. My partner and I will be purchasing a rather nice saloon in Four Corners when we return home next week. While that building is also quite sound and the bar rather nice, not as nice as this one but more than serviceable, the atmosphere leaves quite a bit to be desired."

O'Rourke fixed him with a steady look, "I do nae know how I can help. I started planning this Tavern when I was just a wee lad, trailing after me Da to the local pub in old Donegal, dreaming on having me own tavern when I was growed."

"You could start by simply telling me about the tavern in Donegal. I've seen many an imitation of an Irish pub, but I've never been to Ireland nor seen the real thing."

O'Rourke hesitated, then shook his head, "I've much to do."

"Perhaps my friend and I could help you while we talk," Ezra suggested.

O'Rourke frowned, "Who are ye?"

"Oh, excuse me, I should have introduced myself at once. I am Ezra Standish, and this is my partner Vin. We are two of Judge Travis' Regulators in Four Corners."

"Yer lawmen and ye be wanting to start a saloon?"

Ezra smiled, "The town won't be needing seven lawmen forever. We are thinking ahead. That is why I chose your saloon to inquire at. You seem to be thinking ahead as well."

After a moment O'Rourke sighed and looked around. "I could be using some help. Me bartender and serving girls shall nae be here till just before opening time. Ye and yer friend help me get the whiskey and the glassware put out and I'll tell ye about the old Green Man Pub in Donegal while we work."

Two hours later, Vin and Ezra left The Wild Irish Rose with a bottle of Conner's best Irish Whiskey and the knowledge that they had gained a new friend. It hadn't taken long for O'Rourke and Standish to become Conner and Ezra. Vin had hung back, working steadily but not saying much while Ezra charmed the Irishman. As they were leaving, Ezra and Conner had exchanged addresses and promises to keep each other updated as to how their businesses were coming along.

Ezra smiled as he looked at his watch. Perfect timing. They had gained a new friend, and by now Zach and Andrew should have the paperwork drawn up for their purchase of the land beside Miz Emmaline's.

"We should head for the bank," he told Vin, "the paperwork should be ready."

"Hmm," Vin made an agreeable sound, "Are ya really thinkin' of turnin' the saloon into a pub?"

"Not really. It was an easy opening to get him talking so that I could recruit him into my information network."

"Any particular reason why ya want him in particular in yer network?"

"He's Irish. There are quite a few Irishmen in these parts. They tend to be clannish and they frequent Irish themed bars and taverns. They work on the railroads, in the mines or construction and they are members of the army. They also tend to drink quite a lot and talk freely among themselves. Over time he could become a veritable font of information. Of course anything that comes through a drunk Irishman would have to be confirmed elsewhere but still, it could give me an early heads up on a situation that might not be visible to my other sources of information."

"Different point of view," Vin stated firmly.

"Exactly," Ezra confirmed before knocking on the back door of the bank as he had been instructed to do.

Sheriff Porter opened the door and the two men could see that both Judge Havisham and Mayor Lakeland were also there with the banker, Zach Hammersmith.

"Come on in, fellas," Porter said. "Zach finished up the paperwork a bit ago. I's thinking on heading out to round y'all up if ya didn't show soon."

"We were talking to a new friend and lost track of time. I apologize if we have inconvenienced you," Ezra said, sitting the bottle of Irish Whiskey on the desk that Zach sat at.

Zach reached over and picked it up. "Fine Irish Whiskey. Where did you get this?"

"Conner's Wild Irish Rose Inn and Tavern," Ezra told him, sitting himself down in the nice chair that faced the desk.

"I thought he wasn't opening until tonight," Havisham mused.

"Well the door was open, and he was working inside, so I stopped in to introduce myself," Ezra said with a shrug.

"And he just gifted you with a bottle of the good stuff?" Porter asked with a grin.

"We helped him with the stock for an hour or so, talked a bit, got acquainted. I do believe that he shall turn out to be a good friend. We saloon owners have to stick together, you know."

"Is that what you're planning to put on the property down by Emmaline's place?" Havisham asked.

"I haven't actually thought that far ahead as yet. It is a possibility, though," Ezra said. "I'll probably discuss it with Emmaline first."

"Why would you discuss it with Emmaline?" Porter asked.

"We will be neighbors, and as I will most likely be an absentee owner, I may ask her to keep an eye on whatever I decide to build there, keep me informed of any problems. In fact, if you have no objections, I should like to communicate with each of you as well. It would allow me to keep up with events here when I have to be in Four Corners."

"And you could keep us up on events in Four Corners," Havisham said with a grin.

Ezra scowled at him, "Why are you grinning?"

"You don't know? Orin carries that letter you wrote him about the, what was it? Oh, yes, the "petite porcine plunderers" and reads it over again when he needs a good laugh. He read it to me once. I laughed so hard that I nearly fell off my chair. He's always mentioning something that you said in one of your letters. He genuinely looks forwards to getting them. I would be delighted to be included in your correspondence."

Ezra didn't quite know what to say to that, so he fell back on the reason for their visit. "I see," he said, "however, I believe that we should get on with signing the paperwork then if Sheriff Porter doesn't mind perhaps, we could round up some of his deputies and see about evicting the squatters."

"I can go be rounding up my boys while y'all finish the paperwork. Be back in a bit," Porter said and departed out the back door.

By the time that the paperwork was signed, Porter had returned with over a dozen men, all carrying shotguns and wearing badges.

Seeing Ezra raise an eyebrow, he grinned, "Like ya said, even most men what's good with a gun ain't fool enough ta go against a shotgun. There's a heap of fellas down there on those lots but better'n a dozen shotguns should persuade them to move along right peaceable like."

"Indeed, however we will still stop at Miz Emmaline's and allow Vin to pick up his rifle and find a perch before we actually approach them."

*******

Fifteen minutes later Vin emerged from Miz Emmaline's with the assassin's rifle that he had confiscated during the mess with Governor Hopewell.

"Now, that," Porter said with admiration, "is some kinda rifle."

"We confiscated it from a professional assassin who was attempting to kill statehood proponents a while back. It was decided that since Vin is the best marksman of our little group that he would have custody of it," Ezra explained.

Then turning to Vin he said, "The first shot should be a warning only. The signal to take that shot is my removing my hat. The second shot would be a non-lethal but painful wound, perhaps in the shoulder joint."

"Bullet direct into the joint of the shoulder is a crippling shot. Fella most likely won't never use the arm again," Vin warned.

"Use your judgement as to whether or not to place it there or to simply break an arm or something, but make sure that it is a painful wound that will take time to heal. I want these people to be very aware that we mean for them to get off our land and stay off it. I will put my hat back on as the signal for that shot. The third shot, if it should become necessary, will be a kill shot."

"What's the signal for that?" one of the deputies asked with a laugh.

Ezra turned on him, moving so fast that no one had a chance to interfere, and suddenly the man was standing on his tiptoes as Ezra shoved the barrel of his derringer up under his chin. "The signal for that," Ezra said with a chilling smile, "is my blowing someone's brains out. Comprende?"

Everyone, except Vin and Porter, had taken a step back when Ezra shoved the gun up under the other man's chin, too startled to do anything but stare given how quickly Ezra had moved. Now, they stood wide-eyed as their companion swallowed hard and nodded, gulping, "Yeah, yeah. I understand."

"Good," Ezra stepped back and returned the derringer to its rig, brushed at his sleeve, straightened his jacket, then head held high, turned and led the way towards the lots that he had bought.

Vin ghosted away to find his spot, while Porter fell in step with Ezra. The deputies followed, eyeing Ezra warily.

Porter grinned, "Reckon ya'll do," he said.

Ezra cut a glance at him then grinned back. It felt good to be able to let the wolf out for a walk now and then. Larabee was the Alpha of their little pack and Ezra would never challenge him but he was an Alpha, too. In fact about half the pack was alphas they just chose to allow Larabee to be the head alpha. It would never have worked if they were actually wolves but being human, they could consciously choose to follow another alpha rather than form their own packs. 

He glanced back and saw that Vin had done as he had thought he would.

Vin was halfway up the outside stairs to the third floor and would soon be in position on the roof of Miz Emmaline's. It was the best vantage point overlooking the lots and while Vin could easily make the shots required from much farther away, it would make the shots that much easier for him. Not to mention that he would be in position by the time that they garnered the attention of the squatters.

Ezra waited a few moments after they reached the lots, moving until he was standing approximately halfway down the row of lots. Then he stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled loud and sharp before shouting, "Gentlemen! May I have your attention? These lots are now deeded land. I am the new owner. You will vacate the premises now!"

"Or what?" A large rough looking man surged towards Ezra.

Ezra reached up and took his hat off.

Instantly a rifle shot echoed and the man's hat went flying.

"Or my partner will put a bullet through your head," Ezra said calmly. "That was the only warning shot you will ever get. He is out there beyond your reach and he can put a bullet through a one inch circle from a quarter mile away. He will have no trouble dropping you in your tracks. Therefore, I seriously recommend that you pack your things and go. Sheriff Porter and his deputies will escort you to the edge of town. You have an hour. Anything you cannot pack in that time you will have to leave behind."

"Now wait a damn minute, this stuff is worth a lot of money!" Another man stepped forwards.

"Is it worth your life?" Ezra demanded.

The man shook his head but took an aggressive step forwards.

Ezra put his hat back on and instantly another shot rang out. The man who was advancing on Ezra jerked, screamed, then fell, clutching at his arm.

Ezra spread his hands and raised his voice again, "My partner has his orders. Should he need to fire again, the next shot and every one after that will be a kill shot. It is a very simple decision, get off my land or die on it. One hour gentlemen. Start packing!"

It is surprising how quickly people can throw stuff in a wagon or across the back of a horse when they are truly motivated to do so.

Porter's men had little to do but stand and watch as the squatters, quickly packed their goods and began leaving. Once the last of them were off the property, Porter's men followed them to the edge of town, telling them to keep going.

"You would be advised to post a watch tonight to ensure that none of them try to slip back into town," Ezra told Porter.

"What are you going to do?"

"I shall hire a couple of riflemen to guard the property tonight, while I sit in on the poker game with Andrew and Ben. Tomorrow, I will hire at least eight men to guard it until I decide what to do with it. Four with shotguns to guard it during the day, two men taking six hour shifts each, and four to guard it at night with rifles, again two men taking six hour shifts each. I doubt that the men with shotguns will need to shoot anyone. The riflemen, however, will be shooting from concealment and will have orders to fire one warning shot followed by wounding shots. They will have orders not to kill anyone unless given no choice. If you are willing, I would like it if they could report to you at the end of each day. I will leave money for you to pay them and you can either pay them day by day when they report to you or at the end of each week."

"How long are you thinking to need them?"

"As I have no idea how long it shall be before I will be able to return here, I will deposit six months wages with Mister Hammersmith at the bank making arrangements for you to be able to withdraw enough each day or week to pay the guards." 

"Sounds acceptable. Glad ya plan to put the money in the bank though. Zach will keep the records better'n I can."

*******

After clearing the squatters off of their newly acquired land, Vin and Ezra returned to Miz Emmaline's to find that she was up and getting ready for the evening's business although it was still several hours until said business would begin to pick up.

She and Ezra retired to her office to update the map of the town, while Vin went to check on Peso and Chaucer, taking each out in turn to give them a bit of exercise. When Vin returned a couple of hours later he joined them in the office.

"Ya gonna tell her about the lots?" he asked, as soon as he was settled in one of the chairs at the table where Ezra and Emmaline were working on the map.

Ezra grinned and pulling the map close, marked the five lots between Emmaline's and the end of the town's claim, then wrote his and Vin's name across it before turning the map around so that Emmaline could read it.

"You bought the lots! What are you going to do with them? I thought you said that you wouldn't be coming over here as much as before? How will you attend to them without being here?"

Ezra shrugged, "I thought that you might have some ideas about what to put there, dear lady. I bought them on impulse, when I saw what a mess they were making right on your doorstep, so to speak. Think about what kind of business you would prefer to have on those lots, and we can discuss it further tomorrow. I was thinking perhaps a partnership, similar to what we have with Miss Rocillos concerning the saloon. We would own the land and I would put up the money, but you would have input as to what was built there. you would hire a manager or managers as needed for the various businesses. They would report to you and you would report to me in the weekly letter you send me. I thought perhaps forty percent to me and thirty each to you and Vin."

"How much did you pay for the lots?" Emmaline asked. 

"Five lots at one hundred twenty-five dollars per lot. Six hundred twenty-five dollars," Ezra said.

"Those men! They wanted three hundred per lot from me!" Emmaline said angrily, "then they sell them to you for less than half that!"

Ezra shrugged, then said, "Perhaps you would like to buy them from me? I will sell you all five lots for nine hundred dollars. You get them for less than they originally wanted, and I make a small profit. Of course, keeping the squatters off the property becomes your problem."

"Nine hundred dollars?"

"Yes," Ezra said.

Emmaline sighed, "I can't come up with that in cash."

"How much can you pay in cash, today, right now?"

She thought a long moment. "I'll need to have enough money on hand to at least put up a fence around the property and hire someone to watch it to keep the squatters off," she mused, finally saying, "seven hundred and fifty, right now."

Ezra looked to Vin who gave a slight bob of his head. They really had no use for the land and a hundred and twenty-five dollars profit was a hundred and twenty-five dollars profit. They had, in fact, only bought it to get the squatters away from Emmaline's house.

Ezra smiled at her, "Done. I have the deeds right here. If you can find a couple of witnesses to the signing, we can conclude the transaction whenever you choose."

"Judge Havisham has reserved a poker room for tonight. He and the Mayor will be here around nine o'clock with a couple of the wealthier townsmen. I'm sure he would be willing to witness the transfer of title."

Ezra chuckled, "He and the mayor witnessed the transfer of title to me. Will they be upset that I have sold the lots to you? If so, I'm sure that we can find someone else to act as witness."

"I don't care if they're upset," Emmaline said firmly. "I want to rub it in their noses that I got those lots and got them at my price!"

"Remember, my dear, that you have to live in this town. Angering the town's founding fathers is not perhaps wise, especially given that those men include a Federal Judge, the town's mayor, the head of the largest bank in town and the local sheriff."

She sighed, "I know. Perhaps it would be best not to disclose exactly what I paid for the lots."

Ezra nodded, "We can fill the bill of sale out as seven-hundred-fifty dollars cash and other considerations, leaving it to their imaginations what those 'other considerations' are. They need never know that there are no other considerations."

"Are you sure that you don't want any 'other considerations'? You aren't making much of a profit from the sale," Emmaline asked.

Ezra smiled at her, "Considering that I have only owned the property for a few hours, I feel that a hundred-twenty-five dollar profit in under a day is quite a good return on my money. Add in what I won at the table last night and this has already been a most profitable weekend. I can afford to be generous to a friend and we are friends, are we not, Emmaline?"

She smiled back at him. "Yes, Ezra we are friends." She reached across the table to take his hand, "I've missed you these last few months and now you tell us that you will not be coming back even as often as before."

"It can't be helped, my dear, we are going to be very busy. However, I promise when we get where we can, we will be making regular visits. We may not be availing ourselves of your ladies favors but we still consider you all to be friends and we shall want to check in with you and see how things are going for you."

She released his hand and said softly, "The world goes as it wills and not as you are I would have it." She shook her head ruefully, "My grandmother used to say that whenever I became upset about something that happened. It took a long time for me to understand that it simply meant that we cannot control everything. What will be, will be. We will see you when you can come to see us." She smiled at him, "Meanwhile, I can promise you that I will not forget that you helped me get those lots at a price I can afford. In fact why don't we forget about you paying me for the weekly reports? I will send you the reports as agreed but you only pay me if you use the information to turn a profit."

"Are you sure, my dear? Over time that five dollars a week can become quite a bit of money," Ezra reminded her.

"I'm sure. It may take some time to get something built on the lots and running but once I have, I'll turn a great deal more than five dollars a week profit. The two private poker rooms that I rent out here bring in more than five dollars per night. I believe that a casino would do quite well. If I add rooms for private games of poker, billiards and darts, and host the occasional tournament, it would easily make up for the five dollars a week that you would have been paying me," Emmaline said, thoughtfully.

Ezra nodded in acquiesce, "If you are certain, then I am certainly not going to argue with you. It will take me no more than half an hour to draw up a bill of sale for the lots. We can sign everything tonight before I join the Judge and his friends at the poker table. Perhaps you should send a message to them that you need to see them for a few minutes before the game," Ezra suggested.

"I'll send one of the boys to inform them," Emmaline said.

"Excellent, now I want to see if I can build up some cash before tonight. Is there anyone in the gambling rooms yet?"

"Not this early. However, you can usually find a game down at the Yellow Horse Saloon at any time of the day or night. I don't think that you'll have any trouble with the regulars there, most are small ranchers and businessmen, that have learned better than to bet what they can't afford to lose."

Ezra nodded, "I've played there before. The higher stakes games won't get started until sundown. I'll grab a nap then pick up a couple of games before I have to be back here between eight-thirty and nine for the game with Judge Havisham and Mayor Lakeland."

He picked up his map and the ledger that he had been using to make notes in concerning the new people and businesses in town and after excusing himself, he and Vin headed up to their room.

*******

It was good that Ezra had played at the Yellow Horse before. After greeting the owner and bartender as old friends and joining a table with at least two men that he had played before, he easily won the first three hands. 

"Dammit Standish, you have the devil's own luck!" exclaimed Todd Ramose. "You could let us win a few hands to start with just to lull us into a false sense of security." He was grinning, so that Ezra didn't take offense. He knew well just how good Ezra was at poker.

Ezra grinned back at him, "Now, Todd," he chided, "I'm letting you deal. Would you like me to take my jacket and shirt off so that you can see that I have nothing up my sleeves?" He was smiling as well, his voice light and teasing.

Kate Blanchard, the owner of the Yellow Horse and the only woman at the table, grinned at him, "Hell, yeah, Handsome, you can take them off, take it all off! Pants too. I hear you played old Bangs in nothing but your fancy drawers!"

Raucous laughter greeted Kate's challenge.

Ezra winked at her and pushed his chair back, "Far be it from me to disappoint a lady," he said, sliding his jacket off his shoulders and calling Vin to his side with a look.

He removed his shoulder holster and sleeve gun as well before taking off his vest and shirt to cat calls and wolf whistles. 

Vin just shook his head, grinning, as he accepted the garments and weapons, turning to lay them on the chair that he had occupied, before stepping up behind Ezra to stand guard.

Ezra hooked his hands in the waistband of his pants then shook his head with a grin, "You'll have to be satisfied with the top half, darling," he told Kate. Sitting back down in his chair he said, "We have a new rule gentlemen, hands above the table at all times. Anyone caught with a hand below the top of the table is barred from the game and forfeits any money that they have in the pot at the time."

"Hey! What if I get an itch?" one of the cowboys that was new to the table asked.

"Then you had best either ignore it or put down your cards, step away from the table, scratch your itch then return to the table, being careful not to put your hands below the top of the table at any time. Oh, and Mister Tanner will be watching you to insure that you do not palm a card while you are scratching your itch."

"That's a bit tough isn't it?" another cowboy asked.

"Be glad I am not invoking tournament rules. Under tournament rules if you put a hand below the table top you forfeit not only the money in the pot, but your entire table stake. Also you are not allowed to leave the table for any reason, unless everyone is taking a break between hands," Ezra informed him coldly.

"If you do leave the table in the middle of a hand," Kate added, "you are barred from returning to the game and lose your entire table stake." 

Vin held Ezra's pocket watch out to him. "Better keep this, Ez. We got an appointment, remember."

Ezra nodded and took his pocket watch from Vin, opened it, and laid it on the table beside where he was sitting before saying, "If you would like to see an example of tournament play, I shall be playing down at Emmaline's this evening with Judge Havisham, Mayor Lakeland and Mister Hammersmith, the bank manager at the Red Bluff Central Bank as well as a couple of other gentlemen. Miz Emmaline will be acting as the dealer and tournament rules will apply." 

He glanced at his watch, "Now, I only have another hour and a half to play with you gentlemen, before I have to get ready for the tournament. So, if anyone would rather not continue play, please depart so that the rest of us can get on with the game."

Only one of the cowboys left the game and a bystander quickly claimed his seat.

At eight-fifteen Ezra tossed in his hand and stood, raking his winnings off the table and into his hat. "I have to be going, gentlemen. It's been a good game. Thank you."

He turned to Vin and accepted the shirt his friend held out to him, quickly putting it on, followed by his vest. He then collected his guns, restoring them to their proper places before putting on his jacket. When he was once again properly attired, he tucked his pocket watch back in place, then quickly sorted his winnings and tucked them away.

Turning to Vin he said, "We should have time to grab a bite off Miz Emmaline's buffet before the big game. Shall we go?"

Kate and Todd Ramose stood up as well, "Why don't we walk down to Emma's with you," Kate suggested, "It's been a while since I've been down to visit her."

"And I want to watch you take Hammersmith to the cleaners," Todd said with a grin. "He turned me down for a loan a couple of weeks ago. Acted like I wasn't good for the money. Heck, I was livin' in this country long before there ever was a town here. Ain't like I'm gonna go anywhere."

"What did he want for collateral?" Ezra asked. 

"My ranch, the whole thing for a three-hundred dollar loan. My ranch is worth a whole lot more'n that! I got more'n six thousand acres and three thousand head of cattle. I only needed the loan to tide me over till roundup. Once I sell my herd next fall I'd pay it back."

"I see," Ezra said, "however, Hammersmith is most likely simply following the rules the bank owners have set down. As manager he does have a certain amount of flexibility, but he still has to answer to the owners for whatever decisions he makes."

"I know. Just don't seem right. The land this town sits on used ta be mine. I'm the one that sold it to them to build the township twenty years ago and now he won't even lend me a measly three hundred dollars."

"I was not aware that Mister Hammersmith had been here that long," Ezra said, thinking that Hammersmith didn't seem to be a great deal older than himself.

"Was his daddy and Judge Havisham that got things started back then. Havisham was just a lawyer in those days, him and Zach's daddy, Bart, was partners in a law firm, Hammersmith and Havisham. Zach used ta call the Judge 'Uncle Andy' when he was growing up. Now the two of them, along with Lakeland and Porter pretty much run things around here."

"I'm beginning to see that," Ezra said. "Do you have concerns about their honesty?"

"No, not really. I just think that they kinda forget where they come from and who their friends were. Judge has got a good head on his shoulders, smart and shrewd if ya understand the difference."

"I do."

"Porter's solid, too, even if he is a relative newcomer, only been here a few years. Worked for the judge in his office before he ran for sheriff. Zach and Ben, they grew up here, and they didn't have to work as hard for what they got as Andy and Carl did. Their daddy's was the one that built the family fortune so ta speak."

Ezra nodded, "So they do not, perhaps, appreciate that they might not have as much as they do without the help of others. They have, as you put it, forgotten who helped them reach their current station in life." 

"Yeah," Todd said with a sigh. "Reckon I shouldn't expect the sons to remember that their daddy's owe their start ta my selling them this land." 

Ezra nodded thoughtfully.

By this time they had reached Emmaline's. Vin and Ezra headed upstairs to their room while Kate and Todd stopped to talk to Emmaline.

Once behind closed doors, Ezra turned to Vin, "Would you be adverse to my loaning Todd the three hundred dollars he spoke of should he still need it?"

"We've got it to spare haven't we?"

"Yes, I won one-hundred-thirty dollars at the Yellow Horse. When Miz Emmaline pays us the seven-hundred-fifty dollars cash for the lots, our total cash in hand will be seven-thousand dollars. I will need a thousand for table stakes for tonight's game, reducing our cash to six thousand."

"Subtract the twelve hundred we need to pay for the saloon and the thousand for the Bitter Creek tourney and that leaves, what? Forty-eight hundred?"

"Yes. So even if I loan him the three-hundred we are still forty-five hundred ahead."

"So even if you don't win tonight, and we loan him the three hundred, we'll still have what we need for the saloon and the tourney and forty-five-hundred extra?"

"Yes. We are already way ahead of what we had hoped to win this weekend and we still have four weekends before the tournament to build up a cash reserve."

"I like Todd. He's a good man. Offer him the three hundred if ya want to. How much interest are you planning to charge him?"

"A flat ten percent. He borrows three-hundred dollars and pays back three-hundred-thirty dollars."

"Due when?" Vin asked.

"When he sells his herd next fall."

"Reasonable interest, reasonable terms. Can ya write it up yourself or do ya need the judge ta do it?"

"I can write it up. It will only take a few minutes."

"What about the bill of sale for the lots to Emma?"

"I drew them up before we left to go to the Yellow Horse."

Ten minutes later, Ezra was blotting the ink on the promissory note that he had written for Todd to sign when Emmaline's man knocked on the door to tell them that the judge and his friends had arrived.

After making sure that the ink was dry and would not smudge, Ezra slipped the note into the leather folder that he had the other papers in, and they headed down to Emmaline's office.

Judge Havisham was seated in the prime chair directly in front of Emmaline's desk while his friends occupied the other chairs in the room.

Emmaline started to send her man after more chairs, but Ezra declined, saying, "This will only take a few minutes. Vin prefers to stand, and I will be handing the papers around to the various signees. Besides, I will be sitting for several hours very shortly."

He drew out the deeds to the lots and the bill of sale for them that he had drawn up. "Has Miz Emmaline told you why we have asked for this meeting?" he asked the Judge.

"She says that you are selling her the lots that you just bought," Havisham said with a slight question in his voice.

"I am," Ezra told him.

"But you only bought them this afternoon," Hammersmith protested.

Ezra sighed, "I know, but on reflection, I honestly don't know why I did so. Once we leave tomorrow, Vin and I are not going to be able to return here for some months. I do not have any idea what I would put on the lots if I kept them and having to hire guards to keep the squatters off them until we could return and build something on them would be an unnecessary drain on our finances. So when Miz Emmaline informed me that she was interested in the property and would be willing to pay me more than I paid for them, well, I decided to sell to her. Is that a problem?"

Hammersmith started to say something, but Havisham shook his head and Hammersmith fell silent.

Havisham said, "It's your property. You can do whatever you wish to with it. Does Emmaline know that she will be responsible for keeping the squatters off it?"

"Of course I do," Emmaline told him. "Vin and Ezra have been quite helpful with suggestions for dealing with the squatters should they attempt to return."

"Very well, if you have the papers ready, we can sign them now," Havisham said.

Once the bill of sale had been signed, witnessed and notarized, Havisham and his friends rose to head down to the buffet table set up in the room next to the poker room, while Vin and Ezra stayed to speak with Miz Emmaline a moment.

"Emma, darling, could you have your man find Todd Ramose and ask him to step in here for a moment?" Ezra asked. "He is most likely at the buffet."

"Certainly. May I ask why?"

"I'd simply like to speak with him for a moment," Ezra told her.

When Todd was escorted into the room several moments later, he looked confused, "Michael said you wanted to speak to me, Emmaline?"

"Actually I wanted to speak to you," Ezra said. "I was wondering if you still had need for the three-hundred dollars you attempted to borrow from Hammersmith's bank a few weeks ago?"

"I could use it. I'm squeaking by but that money would certainly make life easier," Todd said.

Ezra looked at Vin and cocked an eyebrow, then discretely held five fingers where only Vin could see them. 

Vin cocked his head then shrugged and nodded.

Ezra turned back to Todd, "I am prepared to loan you three-hundred dollars at a flat ten percent interest repayable when you sell your herd next fall."

"Why would you do that?"

"I like you and I have the money to spare. We have done much better this weekend than we had dared to hope." He paused and then went on, "In fact if it would be better for you, I could loan you as much as five hundred. The same deal, flat ten percent interest, no payments but the entire loan due in the fall when you sell your herd."

"Ez?" Vin put in.

"Yes?"

"Maybe we should take it in trade…"

"For what?"

"We're buying the saloon. Inez already serves breakfast and lunch if we added supper too, then we'd be needing a good bit of beef for the table. He could save one of his bull calves from the spring birthings for us and a half a dozen young heifers. We could buy just enough land to support a small herd. We'd have meat for the saloon table regular like without having ta go hunting all the time. 'Cause seems to me that with all we've got planned, I might not have the time to do a whole heap of hunting."

"It'd have ta be a prize bull to be worth five-hundred dollars even with the heifers thrown in," Todd said with a frown. 

"Two bulls and twelve heifers, would that be worth five-hundred-fifty dollars?" Ezra asked.

"Five-fifty?"

"Five hundred dollars plus ten percent interest is five-hundred-fifty dollars."

"Yeah, they'd be worth that," Todd said.

"Then it's agreed. We shall loan you five-hundred-dollars at ten percent interest with the understanding that you may repay the debt with two bulls and twelve heifers delivered to us in Four Corners when you do fall roundup. Is that acceptable?"

"Acceptable," Todd agreed.

"Alright then, I just need to fill in the amount of the loan and the agreed upon repayment, then we can sign the note. Miz Emmaline can witness it and if you would call Judge Havisham back for just a moment he can notarize it."

When the paperwork had all been taken care of, Vin and Ezra grabbed a couple of plates from the buffet and retreated to their room.

Once in the room Ezra counted the money again while Vin ate, dividing it up: Twenty-two-hundred to take home, twelve-hundred to add to the thousand that they had left with Inez for the saloon and the thousand to enter the Bitter Creek tournament. Then he peeled off one-thousand for the game he was about to enter with Havisham and his friends and finally the thirty-three-hundred that was left over. He gave all but the thousand for the game to Vin.

Vin stared at the fifty-five-hundred dollars in his hand, then gave a sharp nod and tucked it away inside the interior pocket on his capote. "You need to eat, Ez, before you head down to the game. Ain't no tellin' how long it'll last."

"I'll eat a little. You know I don't eat much before a game. I dislike feeling overly full when I am playing."

"Don't need ta drink on an empty stomach," Vin said.

"Darling, Emmaline's girls know to bring me tea rather than whiskey. It looks the same, but I won't be getting drunk. It's one of the tricks of the trade," Ezra informed him with a smile.

"You drink real whiskey when yer playin' us," Vin stated with a frown.

Ezra laughed, "Of course I do, darling. We never play for serious money and besides as much as I love you, I could hold my own at poker with any of the seven even if I were blind drunk and half dead. There isn't one of you that is a serious challenge at the game." He went to Vin slipping his arms around him and smiling up at him, "But tonight, I am playing for serious money and we are playing by tournament rules. I do not want to lose our thousand dollars which means that I need to win all the other players' money. I can't do that if I'm drunk."

"Havisham brung five fellas with him. That means that if you win you could get five thousand dollars, don't it?"

"I doubt that Sheriff Porter is playing. Unless someone loaned him the ante, he most likely does not have it. No, I believe that it will be Havisham, Hammersmith, Lakeland and whomever the other gentleman is. I suspect that he may be a ringer, perhaps the local poker champion."

"You worried about him?"

"Not really. If he were truly good, I would have heard of him. All the really good players know each other, Vin."

"Railroad's here now. He could be from back east."

"It doesn't matter. I have this to do and do it I shall. You have to remember, Vin that I have an advantage over almost every player out there. Mother started teaching me to play when I was five-years old. I was playing against grown men by the time I was ten and winning regularly. I have played poker almost every single day since I was five and when I can't play, I shuffle and deal practice hands. I play memory games to improve my memory and therefore my game. I work at being good at cards. When I am truly focused on the game, no one can beat me. No one, understand?"

"Understood, still," he leaned in and kissed Ezra gently, "a kiss for luck can't hurt."

"Indeed, my love, now let's go win money," Ezra said with a smile.

****************

Judge Havisham introduced the new player as William Parker, a gambler out of New Orleans.

Parker held out his hand to shake Ezra's hand, "You may call me William. My family owns the Parker House Casino in New Orleans, perhaps you have heard of it?"

"Indeed I have. A very fine gambling establishment. My name is Ethan Winthrop," Ezra replied.

Havisham winked at him and Ezra sighed internally. It seemed Havisham was setting him up again. Hopefully this one wouldn't try to cheat.

"I believe that Judge Havisham stated that this game would be played by tournament rules. Just to make sure that everyone knows those rules shall I reiterate them?"

"Go ahead," Havisham said.

"Very well. The table stakes are one-thousand-dollars per player. Miz Emmaline and Judge Havisham will count the money and exchange it for chips. The money will reside in the house safe until we have a winner. Play continues until one player wins all the money. If you lose your stake you cannot buy additional chips. You are simply out of the game. Miz Emmaline will deal for us. No player will handle the deck at any time. All players must keep both hands above the tabletop at all times. No one may leave the table for any reason except when the entire table takes a break. If you do so, you are out of the game permanently and you forfeit your table stake. You may however ask for a break if you need to and if everyone agrees a break will be taken. Any one that does not wish to play by these rules should step aside now. Is everyone in?"

When each of the other players agreed to the rules Ezra, turned to Vin and removed his jacket. "As I am a professional poker player, and the rest of you are not, I will forestall any worries that I may cheat by playing in my shirt sleeves, rolled up above my elbows. Vin will hold my jacket and derringer rig." 

He turned to Sassy who was standing nearby, "Sassy, darling if you would be so kind as to roll my sleeves up for me?"

"I'd love to, Ethan," Sassy said with a smile, batting her eyes at him.

Ezra smiled indulgently at her and kissed her cheek before sitting down. He glanced back at her, "Could I have a glass of whiskey, darling, my usual bottle."

"I'll get it," Sassy said.

"If everyone is ready, gentlemen," Emmaline said, "the game is five card stud. Nothing wild."

The game began in earnest. It quickly became obvious that the only serious competition that Ezra had at the table was Parker, just as he had thought.

*******

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New characters in this chapter:  
Zachariah Hammersmith manages the Red Bluff Central Bank.
> 
> Connor O'Rourke owns Connors Wild Irish Rose Inn and Pub. Ezra recruits him to his information network.
> 
> Mayor Benjamin Lakeland is the town mayor. 
> 
> Todd Ramose is a rancher who lives near Red Bluff and who once owned the land the town sits on. Ezra loans him five hundred dollars in exchange for the promise to deliver two bulls and twelve heifers after his fall round up.
> 
> Kate Blanchard owns the Yellow Horse Saloon where Ezra plays poker sometimes.
> 
> William Parker is a professional poker player out of New Orleans whose family owns the Parker House Casino there.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Includes the conclusion of the poker game, Vin and Ezra leaving Red Bluff and arriving back in Four Corners. Contains Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday's events. Vin, Ezra and Inez talk about the game and their winnings. They meet with the Judge. Properties are purchased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will probably be the last chapter I get up until after New Year's as I don't generally get a lot of writing done during the holiday season. It's kind of fitting that Chapter 6 will start off the new year as it is the first chapter that has been almost completely rewritten and incorporates major changes to the timeline.

*******  
Sunday, January 8, 1871  
*******

By midnight everyone but Ezra and Parker were out of the game, but the game dragged on, seesawing back and forth between the two men until about an hour before dawn.

Finally Ezra said, "I have to be back home by noon Monday; therefore I need to leave by noon today, and I should like to get a few hours' sleep before then. Perhaps we could bet everything on one last hand? Winner takes all." 

"Play the cards we are dealt?" Parker asked.

"Good enough. Deal the hand face up, Emmaline," Ezra said, pushing all his money to the center of the table.

Parker did the same.

"Last hand," Emmaline announced, "Playing the cards as dealt, face up."

She dealt Parker the first card, "King of Hearts to Parker."

She dealt Ezra's card, "Jack of Spades to Winthrop."

"Four of hearts to Parker."

"Ace of Spades to Winthrop."

Vin felt his heart jump as Ezra straightened the ace in front of him. The ace of spades was Ezra's signature card.

"Four of clubs to Parker. One pair."

"Queen of Spades to Winthrop."

Ezra lined the Queen up next to the Jack.

Emmaline dealt Parker's next card, "King of Diamonds, two pair."

She dealt Ezra's next card, "King of Spades. Ace high straight."

She dealt Parker's last card, "Four of Diamonds. Full house."

Parker grinned and sat back in his chair, a triumphant look on his face.

Emmaline hesitated before dealing Ezra's last card.

"The world goes as it wills, darling," Ezra reminded her. "Deal the card."

She dealt it to him then gasped, before smiling and stating, "Ten of spades. Royal Flush in Spades. Winthrop takes the pot."

"That's not possible!" Parker snarled.

"Are you accusing Ethan of cheating, or Miz Emmaline?" Vin asked, stepping forwards. "Cause, she done the dealing and ever body can see that he ain't got nothing up his sleeves."

"No one has been cheating, William, and you know it," Havisham said sharply. "You knew you could lose when you sat down. I know you're good but that doesn't mean you can't be beaten. Looks like it was Winthrop's lucky night."

"Indeed," Ezra said, "Now if you'll excuse me, I shall retire to my room to get some sleep." He looked over at Vin as he straightened the money and tucked it away, "We can head home after lunch, if that is agreeable?"

Vin shrugged, "Fine with me. You're the boss," he said, letting Parker think that he was just a hired hand.

"Sassy, would you care to see me to my room?" Ezra asked.

"Oh, I'd love to," she smiled at him, taking his arm.

He leaned in close and whispered, "When we get upstairs, take the back staircase and tell Kyle to saddle our horses."

She giggled and nodded her head, snuggling up to him as they left the room.

Vin headed for the front door. "Reckon I better grab a nap, too. Miz Emma, would ya tell Ethan I'll meet him at the Grey Goose fer lunch?"

By the time that Ezra reached their room, Vin was coming up the back staircase, passing Sassy as she headed down to tell Kyle to saddle their horses. 

He stopped her, "I done told Kyle to saddle the horses, could you see if cook would pack us some food? Stuff we can eat in the saddle. We aim ta be half way home 'fore Parker knows we're gone."

"I'll make y'all some sandwiches. Marnie's got bacon, ham and steak for breakfast. I'll get y'all some bacon and slice y'all off some ham and put it between bread then wrap it up for you. I'll send along some jam and biscuits for when y'all can stop ta eat, too."

"Peach preserves?" Vin asked hopefully.

"If we got them," Sassy promised.

"Thanks, Sassy, yer a right fine woman."

"You bet I am. Now go help your fella pack."

*******

It only took a few minutes to finish packing after Vin arrived. Ezra had almost been done before he got there. 

Ezra quickly took out the money he had just won and told Vin, "With this we now have ten-thousand-five-hundred dollars." He held out his hand, "Give me the rest of it."

Vin frowned but did so.

Ezra took the money, put it with the other and straightened it, then pulled a piece of brown wrapping paper and a piece of twine from his saddlebags. Moving to Vin's bags he took out the new shirt he had bought Vin while they had been exploring the town. He wrapped the money in the shirt, folding it carefully so that there was no indication that the money was there, then wrapped the shirt in the paper and tied it with the twine before tucking the shirt and all the money into Vin's saddlebag.

"There," he said, handing the bags to Vin. "It should be safe in your bags. You led Parker to believe that you were just a hired hand. Should he come after us and by some miracle actually catch up, he won't think to look in your bags."

"He better not come after us. I don't like that man. Apt ta shoot him on general principle," Vin practically growled.

"Let us hope that it does not come to that."

"And if it does?"

"Then we shall just have to make certain that no one can prove that you shot him," Ezra said. He smiled sharply, "Besides he thinks that I am Ethan Winthrop of Black Rock. He won't be looking towards Four Corners." He stepped close to Vin, "I love you. Let's go home."

Vin sighed and rested his forehead against Ezra's for a moment, "Love you, too." He hugged Ezra tightly for a moment then stepped back, "Let's go."

*******

Kyle had their horses saddled when they reached the livery attached to the bawdy house. As he led Peso and Chaucer out for them, Vin spotted a deer skin that had been tanned, tacked up on the wall.

"That deer hide yers, Kyle?"

"Yes, sir. Why?"

"Wanna sell it?"

"What ya offering?"

"Ten dollars," Ezra said pulling out a ten-dollar gold piece from his pocket.

"Ain't worth that much," Kyle protested.

"Reckon it is to us," Vin told him, then looked at Ezra, "Ya thinking what I am, wrap the horses hooves?"

"Indeed. It will blur the tracks. Make it almost impossible to distinguish them from any other."

"Make 'em look older an' wore down," Vin agreed. "Ten dollars and ya find us some leather thongs to tie them on with."

"If yer sure that it's worth it to ya."

"It is, Kyle," Ezra assured the young man again.

After ascertaining that Kyle knew Parker by sight, Vin and Ezra sent him to keep an eye out for the man while they wrapped the horses hooves. When he returned and told them that Judge Havisham, Sheriff Porter, and Mayor Lakeland had herded Parker back towards the center of town, they led the horses out the back, picking their way carefully, walking the horses until the sun was up enough for them to see, then they mounted and picked up the pace.

They kept to bedrock as much as possible, circling wide around the town before making a beeline for a series of canyons and arroyos that would get them back to Four Corners but be easy to lose any one following them.

*******  
Sunday January 8, 1871  
Nearing sundown  
*******

They rode until late afternoon then made a dry camp, well off the trail, tucked back in a small clearing hidden behind a dense stand of trees. They had eaten about half the sandwiches that Sassy had made for them while they traveled and decided to eat the biscuits and jam that she had also sent along. Vin was delighted that she had found him some peach preserves as well as the small jar of strawberry jam that she had sent for Ezra.

Vin strung lines, each with a couple of cans with a handful of rocks in them around the campsite, low enough not to be seen but high enough to trip someone and alert them then they both settled down for a quick nap. The moon was still mostly full but wouldn't rise till after sunset. Since the sky was clear, it should be bright enough that they would be able to move on in a few hours. 

*******  
Monday, January 9, 1871  
*******

They quietly walked the horses into Four Corners shortly after midnight, stabled them using only the light that Tiny left burning all night and then headed for the saloon. Making a game of it, they managed to reach the saloon and get inside without Buck or JD, who were on watch, seeing them.

When Ezra opened the door to his room, they slipped quietly inside, noting that Inez was sleeping in the big bed there.

Smiling, they carefully set the saddlebags on the floor and Ezra stood beside the bed and leaned close to her, "Inez—" he began only to have her pull her hand out from under the pillow and shove her gun in his face.

He chuckled, softly, "Darling, it's only Vin and me. You don't need that. Although I am glad that you have it."

"You're home!" she almost squealed, "I did not think that you would return until noon." 

She hastily tucked the gun back under the pillow and sat up. "Did you win? What happened? Why are you back early?"

"Everything is fine. Yes, we won. There was a sight problem, but it should not be anything to worry about." He brushed a kiss across her forehead. "But we can discuss that in the morning," Ezra said.

Vin groaned, saying. "We ain't slept but about two hours since early Saturday morning."

"Do you want me to go back to my room?" Inez asked, "I have been sleeping in here because the bed is so comfortable."

The two men exchanged looks, then Ezra smiled and said, "That's not necessary, darling. We can bed down in one of the empty rooms."

"But that is hardly fair!" Inez protested, "This is your room, Ezra!"

Ezra chuckled, "Inez, we've spent the last few miles home dozing in the saddle. Any room will do. We'll be fine." He bent over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Go back to sleep."

They quickly dropped their saddlebags and bedrolls on the floor beside the wardrobe and slipped quietly back out the door."

"The key to number eight was still hanging on the board, would you fetch it?" Ezra said.

Vin nodded and slipped silently down the staircase to grab the key.

A few minutes later they were hanging their gunbelts on the bedposts in number eight.

Vin glanced around seeing the dust on the dresser and table. "This'n don't rent much does it?" 

"It is the last of the four with double beds," Ezra informed him. "My room, Blossom's and Molly's are the other three. Inez's room only has a single as do the other three. They rent for half what these do."

"The girls need the room fer their fellas and ya like your comfort," Vin said with a nod, "but why don't Inez have this one?"

"Because the owners told her to rent it and sleep in the cheaper room herself. Once we buy the saloon however, I intend to insist that she move in here." 

"What if she don't wanna?"

"Then we'll just have to decide to upgrade all the rooms to double beds."

Vin chuffed a laugh. His partner was a sneaky little shit.

*******

Nathan led his horse into the livery after finishing the morning patrol out of town. He nodded when he saw that Peso and Chaucer were in their stalls. He headed to the jail to check in with Chris who was sitting on the porch there.

As he dropped into the chair, he asked, "So when did Vin and Ezra get in?"

Chris turned to look at him. "They're back?"

"Horses are at the livery."

"Were they there when you left for patrol?"

"Don't know. Tiny had my horse saddled and waiting when I come down. I didn't set foot inside till I got back just now."

"I've been here since sunup and I haven't seen them. Buck and JD didn't say anything about seeing them come in last night."

Nathan shrugged. "Don't reckon it matters when they got here, as long as they're ready for patrol after lunch. Heck, you know Vin, he can be a ghost when he wants to be."

Chris sighed, "Ezra can be, too, when he wants. He just likes drawing attention, most of the time." He paused then shook his head, "I should have known they were back. Inez hasn't opened up the saloon."

Nathan looked over to the saloon and stared at the closed doors. "That is unusual."

"Yep," Chris said.

******* 

Inez awoke slowly, she yawned and stretched and finally sat up in the bed, noting that the room was still dark enough that the sun was likely not yet up. 

Her thoughts turned to Vin and Ezra as they had often over the weekend that they had been gone. She had not realized that she would miss them so terribly. She had slept in Ezra's room, in his bed every night, not only because the bed was so soft and comfortable but because she missed them. She could not understand it. She had only shared their bed a single night and she had little memory of that night. She did however remember the morning after and how gentle and kind they had been when she had awakened so very sick from her hangover.

She heard soft footsteps in the hallway then the door opened quietly, and Vin poked his head in.

"She's 'wake," he said, to someone behind him then pushed the door the rest of the way open and held it for Ezra who followed him in with a bed tray loaded down with breakfast for the three of them.

Ezra crossed the room to her while Vin closed and locked the door behind them. "Good morning, Darling," he said quietly sitting the tray on the bedside table. "Do you feel like breakfast?"

"Si," she said with a soft laugh, sitting up in the bed as Vin came to stack pillows behind her to make her more comfortable. "I am very hungry. As yet, I have not had the morning sickness, and I am hungry all the time."

"Perhaps you will skip that unpleasant part of childbearing. Mother told me once that she did not have a single day of morning sickness when she was carrying me," Ezra told her. He removed his and Vin's plates from the tray.

Vin took the plates and set them on the dresser as Ezra poured them two cups of coffee, setting them aside before placing the tray with Inez's breakfast across her lap.

"I made tea for you. Trust me it isn't medicinal, not really. It's raspberry tea. Mother swears by it. She said that drinking raspberry tea every morning with her breakfast is what kept her from suffering morning sickness with me. Apparently, it is a secret passed down through the women of her family. As soon as Grandmother found out that Mother was carrying, she brought her the tea and insisted that she use it."

Inez smiled at him, "I hope that it will work. I do not want the morning sickness."

"We don't want ya to have ta suffer through that, either. That's why we decided to try an' head it off at the pass so ta speak and see if the tea would work for ya," Vin chimed in.

"I do hope that you like it, as you should drink it every morning and then whenever you begin to feel nauseated," Ezra said.

She lifted the cup and took a sip, "Oh, it is very good! I like it very much." 

"Good. Then we'll make sure that you have plenty of it on hand from now on," Ezra told her.

As she began to eat, he and Vin dug into their breakfast as well. Ezra pulled a chair close to the dresser and ate there, while Vin took his plate to the rocking chair by the window, setting his coffee on the floor beside him.

When they were finished eating, Ezra gathered up the dishes and returned them to the tray. After they each gave her a kiss on the forehead, Vin unlocked the door, then picked up the tray and headed out. 

Ezra sat on the edge of the bed a few minutes longer, holding one of her hands. "When you feel like getting dressed and coming downstairs, we will tell you all about our trip. Now, we'll leave you to your ablutions." He kissed her hand, then stood up. "We'll see you in a bit, Darling."

She looked after them, staring at the closed door for a long moment with a sad smile before rising and making her way across the hall to her room to dress for the day.

*******

She made her way to the kitchen where Catherine told her that Vin and Ezra were in the storeroom.

As she stepped into the room, she heard Ezra say, "It's perfect. We don't need a large office at this stage." He saw her and smiled, turning to ask her, "Do you think that this will make a good office for the saloon?"

"What will we do with everything that is stored here?"

"I can build more shelves in the cellar." Vin said, "We can put most of it down there." Seeing her frown he added, "Me 'n the boys can fetch and carry. You won't have'ta worry about climbing up and down the stairs."

She nodded, and said, "Si. It will make a good office. I never had an office; I did the books at a table in the saloon and kept the ledger in my room."

"Yes, well I promised you a safe, my dear and we will need some place to keep it. I certainly don't want it sitting in plain sight in the saloon."

"I see. Yes. This will be good," Inez said.

"Excellent. Why don't you go check on the front, while Vin and I shift enough of this around to bring one of the tables in here. When you get back we'll show you what we won in Red Bluff and discuss what we wish to do."

"I need to unlock the front door," Inez said. "Senor Larabee does not let Michael out of the jail until he sees me open up."

Ezra grinned delightedly, "Michael's still here? I'm surprised he hasn't made a run for it."

"He has been very good and a great deal of help. Senor Larabee let him sleep in his room with him Saturday night when the jail was too full."

Vin laughed, "If he survived that, he's a keeper fer sure!"

******* 

When Inez returned from opening up and getting Catherine and Miguel started on the rest of lunch, Vin and Ezra had already shifted about a third of the items in the storeroom to one side.

Michael followed her into the storeroom, "You're back!" he said excitedly. "What are you moving everything around for? Can I help? Miss Inez says I'm a good helper. So does Mister Larabee, but he says I talk too much."

Ezra smiled at the excited boy. Michael sounded like JD when he was excited. Still smiling, he said, "We won the money that we needed to buy the saloon, so we are going to turn this storeroom into an office. For now do whatever you normally do to help Inez and Catherine. After lunch if Inez does not need you, you can go with Vin to the lumber yard and get some wood to build shelves."

"Can I learn to build shelves? Can you teach me Mister Vin?" 

When Vin looked uncertain, Ezra winked at Vin and said, "Perhaps Mister Sanchez could—"

"No! I'll teach him," Vin quickly interrupted. "Ain't no tellin' what we'd end up with if 'Siah taught him."

Ezra chuckled and headed out to the main barroom, calling back over his shoulder, "Vin, come help me move one of the tables back there." 

Inez sent Michael to help Catherine and Miguel in the kitchen and returned to join them. 

They had one of the tables from the saloon set up with three chairs around it. A pair of saddlebags sat in the center of the table.

After Inez closed and latched the door behind her, Vin rose to latch the other door then returned to the table and took a package wrapped in brown paper out of the saddlebags.

Ezra took the package from him then said, quietly, "We did much better in Red Bluff than we had dared to hope. We had hoped to win three or four-hundred dollars. This is what we ended up with." He removed several stacks of money from the package. "It totals, with the thousand that we started with, ten-thousand-five hundred dollars."

He laid one stack of money in front of her, "There is twelve hundred dollars here. With the thousand that I left with you and your six hundred and Vin's two hundred that makes the three thousand for the saloon."

He laid another stack of money in front of her, "This is the thousand that I need to enter the tournament in Bitter Creek." 

"That leaves us with eight-thousand-three-hundred dollars to decide what we are going to do with."

"Madre Dios! I cannot believe. How? How did you win so much?"

"Travis' judge friend that we took the papers to, had his self a couple of cheats that were pretty much taking the town to the cleaners. He set Ez up ta play them and Ez showed 'em up fer the cheats they were. He kept the money he won off 'em while he's doin' it. Later on the judge, the mayor and some other fellows wanted ta play Ez tournament style, had themselves a fella that was supposed ta be real good at poker with them. Probably figured him to win. Ez beat him. Won all four of 'em's stake."

"You won all their money?" Inez asked wide-eyed.

"Tournament rules. Winner takes all, Darling. They could all afford to lose it. I was playing against some of the wealthiest men in Red Bluff."

"Oh, I see, and now you do not need to keep going out of town to win more money," Inez said smiling.

Vin and Ezra exchanged looks, then Ezra said, "Inez, I should like to continue as we had planned. There is no reason for anyone outside the three of us to know that I have won this much money. Vin and I would like to continue with the plan in order to get the rest of the seven used to our not being around all the time. The town is not going to need all seven of us for much longer. We would like to move into being businessmen rather than lawmen and the more money I can win, the easier that will be. In fact if I buy everything that I have in mind then most of this money will be gone."

"What could you possibly buy that would take that much money?" Inez asked.

Again, Vin and Ezra exchanged looks. Then Vin drew his saddlebags close again and pulled out Ezra's ledger handing it to him.

Ezra opened the ledger and removed a folded paper from the inside front cover and spread it out on the table turning it so that Inez could see it clearly.

It took her a moment to realize that it was a neat, hand-drawn map of Four Corners with each building labeled and with the owner's name beside it. Many of the buildings that she knew to be empty were marked 'title held by bank'.

Ezra pointed to the saloon, "This we have already agreed to buy." He pointed to the abandoned hotel and house across the alley behind the saloon. "I want to buy both the hotel and the house. You, Vin and I can move into the house. It will be quieter than the saloon and more private. It will also free up two rooms here that we can then rent, increasing our income. 

She stared at the map a moment then frowned, saying, "Will they cost that much. They are abandoned, are they not?"

"You are correct. The hotel has no furniture or even a stove in the kitchen, so the judge should be able to talk Hamilton down to around four or five hundred, especially when the judge tells him what all his client wants to buy."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at the map, Darling. There are only four occupied buildings between us and the north end of town. The hotel behind us is vacant as is the building next to it. The bank holds the mortgages on both. We should be able to get the empty house for around five hundred. The hotel will be more because it is three stories. Both have been abandoned for some time so we may be able to get them even more cheaply. The boarding house across from the hotel belongs to the Widow Broadhurst. She is looking for a buyer. She wants four thousand dollars, but she is planning to take only her personal belongings and a few pieces of furniture that have sentimental value with her. Everything else will stay including the stove and most of the dishes and serving pieces. That means that the boarding house will be furnished, and we can start renting rooms immediately. We will have to hire help, of course, a manager, a cook and a couple of maids. We should probably hire a handyman as well, someone that can cut wood for the boarding house as well as the saloon to take that work off Mister Tanner's shoulders."

"When yer lookin' fer a handyman try an' find some body that can do repairs, too. Iffn we're buying ever thing that you want to, I ain't gonna have the time ta do repairs on it all," Vin put in.

Ezra nodded, then continued, "If we pay Missus Broadhurst the four thousand she wants that leaves us with forty-three-hundred dollars. Estimate a thousand for the abandoned house and hotel just to be on the safe side and that takes us down to thirty-three hundred. There is a small empty building between Widow Broadhurst's boardinghouse and Digger Dave's. It is a small building and should not cost much. Figure four or five hundred dollars for that. I've spoken to old man Herndon that owns the cigar store, he asked about betting the store at the poker table a while back. He was asking to cover a five-hundred dollar bet with it, the land building and stock. At the time I wasn't interested, but now I'd be willing to pay that for it. That only leaves twenty-three hundred dollars to get the empty building beside the cigar store and the hotel on the end of town. I doubt that the hotel will go for less than four-thousand as I will want all the fixtures and furnishings."

"We won't have enough to buy it all," Inez said quietly.

"Not unless I keep playing. I want to give Judge Travis the money for the saloon today and let him negotiate for us. Once we have the saloon deed in hand then I will have him start to acquire the other properties. The bank and Widow Broadhurst are both more likely to sell to him and some anonymous investment company than to us personally. Hopefully by the time that they find out that we are the investment company we will already own everything that we want." 

"What time is it?" Vin broke in to ask.

Ezra pulled out his watch and opening it said, "A quarter to eleven."

Inez gave a gasp, "I need to get back to work if we are going to serve lunch. We will meet with Judge Travis after lunch. I will bring my money with me and the thousand dollars that you left with me. Where should we meet?"

"We'll meet here," Ezra said. "We can bring in some more chairs and work at this table. We'll finish moving things out of here this afternoon and get some proper office furniture tomorrow."

"How many more chairs?" Vin asked as Inez headed for the kitchen. 

"Three, I think. Judge Travis, Mister Larabee and Missus Travis."

"Ya want Mary here?"

"We will need two witnesses besides the judge. He will need to notarize everything, and she already knows we are going into business together."

"You reckon that he's gonna be willing to represent us?"

"I can see no reason why he wouldn't. He is after all our employer at the moment and it is in his best interest to keep us here. I'm sure that he knows that even if we are no longer actually employed as peacekeepers that we will, of course, be available as needed."

"Wouldn't hurt to make sure he knows. Maybe flat out tell him?"

"I shall see to it," Ezra said. "Now, let's go get the chairs, then we can eat."

"Best do something with that money," Vin said.

Ezra nodded, picking up the money and returning it to Vin's saddlebags, before picking them up and handing them to Vin. 

Vin raised an eyebrow at him.

"They are your saddlebags. It would look a tad strange for me to be carrying them around."

Vin huffed a laugh. "Gonna look a mite strange for me to be hauling them ever where with me here in town."

"It will only be until we can talk to Travis. An hour, two at most," Ezra assured him.

"All righty," Vin agreed, draping the saddlebags over his shoulder as he headed to the front of the saloon to grab a couple of chairs.

Ezra trailed behind, grabbing one chair while Vin grabbed another. He arranged them around the table as Vin went back for the third chair.

When they returned to the front of the saloon, Chris was making his way to his regular table.

Vin dropped into the chair on one side of him, dropping the saddlebags off his shoulder and draping them across his lap. 

Ezra took the chair on the other side. 

"Boys," Chris greeted them, "How did you do in Red Bluff?"

Vin grinned as Ezra chuckled and said, "We succeeded beyond our wildest hopes. We need to speak to the judge as soon as possible to find out if he has decided to represent our partnership and our company."

"I had dinner with him and Mary yesterday and we discussed it. He seemed to be inclined to represent you. He said that you were smart to hire him. I think he talked to Hamilton over at the bank and the man left a sour taste in his mouth. He was upset with the man's views on women, coloreds and others not considered upstanding citizens. Judge was pretty outspoken on the question of how were such people supposed to improve their lives if no one would give them a chance."

Ezra snorted, "Well, he did hire a motley crew of what most 'upstanding citizens' consider to be riff-raff to protect this town, his daughter-in-law and grandson."

Chris shook his head, "Reckon you're right about that. He hired a gunfighter, an ex-bounty hunter, a defrocked priest, an ex-slave, a greenhorn, a drifting womanizer and an itinerant gambler and con-artist to be lawmen." He chuckled quietly, "He pretty much had to believe in giving folks a chance to do that." 

Ezra nodded, "It was a rather large gamble."

"Looks like he won that gamble. We've done a good job here," Chris said quietly. "Judge said as much. Said he was proud of us for the way that we've done the job, all of us, but especially you, Ezra."

Ezra nearly strangled on his drink and Chris helpfully pounded him on the back until he got his throat cleared and could speak, "Travis said he was proud of me? Me? Specifically?" It was little more than an incredulous squeak.

"Yep, you. He especially thinks that you and Vin are doing a good thing trying to help and protect Inez in her situation. So, yeah, I think he'll be representing you."

"In that case," Ezra said, as Inez dropped three plates overloaded with beans, beef and Spanish style rice on the table before them, "when we finish lunch, perhaps you could fetch him and Mary so that we can complete the paperwork. We are turning the small storeroom behind the kitchen into an office for us. We should like to meet there."

"Come round the back," Vin suggested. "Ain't no need fer Mary to come through the saloon."

Chris nodded, "I'll get them over here soon as I can. It's alright if you two are a little late heading out on patrol.

Just then, Buck, JD, Nathan and Josiah came in and headed for the table they were sitting at.

"What time did you two get in?" Buck asked jovially.

"Round midnight," Vin told him with a grin.

"How come we didn't see you?" JD asked.

"We's tired JD, headed straight up ta bed. If we'd dropped in ta say hello ta ya two ya'd a jabbered at us half the night."

JD started to protest but Chris gave him a hard look, "You know that you and Buck would have just kept running your mouths and Ezra and Vin are both too polite to just walk away from you. They weren't expected back till noon, so no reason for anybody to be worried or for them to check-in." 

He turned to Ezra, "So, why were you back so early?"

"We had not planned to head back until noon yesterday, however my last game was played under tournament rules and one of the players was somewhat disgruntled at losing his entire stake."

"You shouldn't take all a man's money," Nathan grumbled.

"All the players knowed it was tournament rules, Nate," Vin snapped. "One of the rules is ya play till ya either win ever body else's stake or ya lose all yours. They all agreed ta the rules before they sat down. Had a professional dealer so none of the players touched the deck, just their own cards. Hell, Ez played in his shirt sleeves rolled up past his elbows. Fella just fancied his self ta be some kinda fine poker player when he wasn't."

"Also," Ezra added calmly, "the rules were carefully and fully explained before play began. Everyone declared that they understood the rules and agreed to abide by them. Additionally the gentleman in question considered himself to be a professional gambler, coming from a family that runs a casino in New Orleans."

"So, how much did you win?" JD asked excitedly.

"Enough," Ezra said offhandedly. "We have the two hundred dollars more that we needed to buy the saloon. I dare say that if things continue to go as well as they did in Red Bluff, we shall have the table stakes necessary to enter the Bitter Creek tournament in hand before the week of Valentine's." He pushed his half empty plate over to Vin with a sigh, "I do not understand why Miss Rocillos insists upon piling so much food on my plate. She knows very well that I do not eat that much."

Josiah chuckled, "Are you sure that she knows? You always hand your plate off to Vin, Buck or JD and they clean the plate so perhaps it hasn’t occurred to her that you are not eating it."

Ezra blinked, "I honestly hadn't thought about that. Mister Tanner started helping himself to whatever was left on my plate not long after we came together as a group and I just got into the habit of pushing my plate towards him when I was done. By the time that Miss Rocillos arrived in town it was an established habit." He shrugged, "I suppose it doesn’t matter. The food does get eaten."

Catherine brought out plates for the other four and talk turned to what was happening in town and how the morning patrols had gone as they ate.

Chris was the first to finish after Ezra and pushed back his chair. "I'll let the Judge know that you want to see him before you go on patrol."

Ezra pulled out his watch, "Lord, it's almost twelve. Hopefully we can get finished with everything before time for patrol."

"It's not going to hurt anything if you are a few minutes late, after all you will be in a meeting with me and the judge. It's not like you're just skiving off." 

"Think Ez is worried that the rest of the fellas might get upset if we're late, on account of ya letting us be gone over the weekend," Vin said.

Nathan frowned then said, "Like Chris said yer meeting with him and the judge. Ain't like y'all didn't get back when ya said ya would. Even if ya hadn't got back on time, we'd probably be more worried than angry. When the two of ya are off somewheres together yer usually back on time cause you ain't hardly ever late and you keep Ez on time."

Vin stood up, picking up his saddlebags, saying to Chris, "Ya head on and get the judge. Me'n Ez will get everything we need for the meeting."

Ezra joined him and they headed up the stairs towards Ezra's room, letting the rest think that they were going to Ezra's room to get what they needed for the meeting. When they reached the upstairs hall they headed for the door to the outside stairs and went down them and in the back door of the saloon into the kitchen and then into the store room beside the back door.

By the time that the judge and Mary followed Chris in the back door of the saloon and into the rearranged storage room, Inez had joined them.

Ezra greeted the judge and Mary, "Thank you for coming so quickly. We need to leave for patrol at one o'clock and would hate to be late on the first week of our agreement."

"This shouldn't take too long," The judge assured them as he, Mary and Chris sat down in the three chairs opposite the three that Vin, Ezra and Inez occupied. "I have already told Chris, that I have decided to accept the position as attorney of record for both your partnership with Miss Rocillos and the investment company that you are forming."

"Thank ya, judge," Vin said. "Right glad ta hear that. We weren't sure what we'd do if ya hadn't decided to take us on."

Travis looked at Vin and Inez then raised an eyebrow at Ezra. "I will of course need a retainer to make this official…"

"Would fifty dollars be enough for the first month?" Ezra asked.

"That would be more than sufficient," Travis said.

"You are going to have quite a bit to do this first month," Ezra said. "You will need to file the paperwork on both the partnership and the investment company as well as negotiate the purchase of the saloon and several other properties."

Travis' eyebrow rose again, "Other properties?"

"Yes," Ezra said, "however let us deal with the partnership and the saloon first."

"I'll need a name for the partnership," Travis told them.

"Tanner, Rocillos and Standish, a limited partnership," Ezra said, "Plain and simple. To maintain our privacy you can refer to it by the initials, TRS." 

"Very well, once you sign the paperwork, Chris and Mary can witness it and I will affix the notary seal. When that is done I will need the money you wish to use to purchase the saloon."

After the paperwork was passed around and signed, Inez handed him her six-hundred dollars. Vin handed over his two hundred and Ezra opened up his lock-box and counted out his twenty-two-hundred dollars. Ezra also handed the judge a large envelope to put the paperwork in and another smaller one to put the money in.

Travis thanked him, put the paperwork in the large envelope and the money into the smaller envelope then tucked the smaller envelope into the larger one, before laying it aside.

He then took out the partnership agreement and went over the provisions of it with them to make sure that everyone knew what they were agreeing to. "First have you decided on a name for the investment company. I will need one to file the paperwork."

"Mister Tanner has suggested that we are like trees as we are both putting down roots and branching out. Miss Rocillos and I both liked the idea. Therefore we have decided to name the company Three Trees Investments."

"That's actually a very good name," Mary said. "It gives no hint of who you are and will allow you to keep your purchases private."

"Now, that we have a name for the investment firm, exactly what other properties are you interested in purchasing?"

Ezra had counted out five-thousand dollars while Chris and Mary had signed as witnesses and Travis had affixed his notary seal to the investment firm paperwork. He handed it over to Travis and said, "There is five-thousand dollars there. Widow Broadhurst is asking four thousand for her boarding house. I'm allowing an extra thousand because although she has said that she does not intend to take anything but her personal belongings back east with her, I would like you to be certain that she leaves everything necessary to run the boardinghouse. For instance the dishes and cookware that will be necessary to cook for the boarders and the linens for all the beds should remain. Should she want more money to include them in the sell you may spend up to the extra thousand. If she does actually intend to include everything necessary to run the boardinghouse in the four thousand then the extra thousand can go towards buying the other properties that we want."

Travis stared at the money, then asked, "Just how much money did you win in Red Bluff."

"I can back from Red Bluff with ten thousand-five-hundred dollars including the thousand that I started with."

"How on earth?" Mary gasped.

"Indeed," Travis said.

Ezra smirked at him, "Your friend Judge Havisham and Sheriff Porter set me up to play against a pair of cheats that the two of them had been unable to prove were cheating. I proved that they were cheating. I had a thousand dollars that I took with me. Then I came out fifty-seven-hundred forty-five dollars ahead in that game. The next night your friend and several of the wealthier citizens of Red Bluff asked me to sit in on a game with them, tournament rules. The table stakes were one thousand dollars each and there were four other players. When I won that I came out four thousand to the good. I bought and then resold several lots of land for a profit of one-hundred-twenty-five dollars and won one-hundred thirty dollars in some smaller games on Saturday."

Chris was figuring in his head as Ezra talked, "That's eleven thousand dollars. What happened to the other five hundred?"

"We decided ta loan a friend of ours the five hundred," Vin told him. "We're gonna get two bulls and twelve heifers come fall roundup next year." 

"You'll need land for a herd," Chris said.

"We have every intention of buying a small ranch to put them on. It's not as if we intend to build up a huge herd. It was Mister Tanner's suggestion that we take them in lieu of a cash repayment of the loan. He said that we could use a small herd to furnish meat for the saloon and the boardinghouse."

"And if you don't get the money to buy land for them?" Travis asked.

"We have almost a year," Ezra said with a shrug. "If we can't get enough money in that length of time, I'll just let Mister Tanner persuade Missus Wells to let us put them to pasture on her place. She no doubt could use the money we would be willing to pay to keep them there." 

"That could work," Chris said, "she has the room for at least twice that many head of cattle."

"Yep," Vin said, "kinda doubt that we'll need ta bother her with them though."

"Now," Ezra said, looking at his watch, "about the other properties I am interested in." He withdrew another stack of money from his box. "Here is eleven-hundred dollars. I want you to purchase the abandoned hotel and house behind the saloon. Neither should cost too much. Get the best price that you can. Then with whatever money that you have left after buying the boarding house and the two buildings behind the saloon, negotiate with Mister Herndon to buy the Cigar store. He has said that he is selling the store lock, stock and barrel. Please make certain that the inventory is included in the sale, however, I won't pay more than a thousand dollars for it. "

He paused then said, "I have several other properties in mind however these are the ones that I want bought first and in the order that I have listed them."

"I see," Travis said. "First I buy the saloon, second the boardinghouse, third the two buildings behind the saloon, then finally the cigar store if there is enough money left."

"Exactly," Ezra said, "and in that order. I also want the empty storefront beside the boardinghouse and the empty building next to the cigar stone. I want the hotel at the end of the street as well, however, I know that I don't have enough money to get all of them at this time. The bank holds the mortgages on both the buildings behind the saloon, the empty store next to the boardinghouse and the one next to the cigar store."

"If I can get the saloon for less than the three-thousand dollars what do you want me to do with that money?" Travis asked.

Ezra thought a moment then turned to Inez and Vin asking, "Do either of you need money to get by on until we begin to turn a profit?"

Inez shook her head, "The owners pay me thirty-five dollars a month to manage the saloon. I still have most of last month's pay. I will not get paid this month will I?"

"Not a salary but hopefully we will turn a profit. If not I will just have to pay you the manager's salary out of my operating reserve," Ezra told her.

Vin gave him a nod, "We got paid just before we headed out ta Red Bluff. Still got most of it."

"Then if it is agreeable with the two of you I will have Mister Travis add whatever he is able to save us on the purchase of the saloon to the money that I have given him to buy the other properties."

"Fine with me," Vin said.

"Si," Inez agreed.

"Then that is what we will do," he said. He looked back down into his box and said, "And that ladies and gentlemen leaves me a bit over a twenty-one hundred dollars. One thousand of that is the buy in for the Bitter Creek tournament. That leaves just over eleven hundred for operating expenses and to use as poker stakes until the tournament."

"Why do ya want the buildings bought in that order, Ez?" Vin asked.

"The saloon already turns a steady profit. If we can keep the boardinghouse open as well it should also turn a profit. We can use the profits to pay for the help we will have to hire. With my help, Inez can still manage the saloon and the boardinghouse as well, but we will need to hire another helper for the kitchen and a maid for the rooms upstairs here. The boardinghouse will need a cook, a cook's helper and at least two maids. It is unfortunate that Widow Broadhurst and her daughters did almost all the work of running the boardinghouse themselves. If she had employed others to help her run it, we could have simply asked them to stay."

He fell silent for a moment then said, "As for the hotel and the other house behind the saloon, Inez is going to need a ground floor room when she reaches the point that she should not be climbing stairs and I should like you and I to be close by should she need us. As for the cigar store if we do not have enough money for it, it can wait. It does not do a lot of business, so I when I am able to buy it, I am thinking of simply using it as a warehouse and offering the cigars for sale here at the saloon."

Inez smiled, "That is a good idea. Many men like to smoke when drinking or playing cards. They would be able to buy cigars without leaving the saloon."

"I'm thinking of adding cigarettes and cigarillos as well," Ezra said.

"I'd appreciate it," Chris said, "I have to either order my cigarillos from Mrs. Potter and wait until they get delivered or ride to Eagle Bend. Herndon wouldn't stock them because he says that I'm the only one in town that wants them."

Ezra chuckled, "Then I will definitely stock them for you. Now, I do believe that if we are done here that I have time enough to return my box to my room and still report for patrol on time."

Vin stood, nodding at Ezra, then turning to Chris he said, "Y'all latch the door when ya leave. We ain't got a proper lock for it yet. That's on the list ta get done tomorrow along with moving this stuff out and getting Ez a desk put in here."

"Oh," Ezra said, turning back to the judge, "If you could price safes for us when you return to Santa Fe. We would like a medium-sized floor-model about waist high." He held his hand up to show how tall he wanted it.

"Can't Miz Potter get us one?" Vin asked.

"Perhaps, but I would rather that it not become common knowledge that we have one. If we order through her it will be common knowledge in town within a day of ordering it. If, however, Judge Travis buys us one in Santa Fe he can have it shipped in an unmarked crate with no indication of what it is. We can have the deliverymen bring it to the back door and place it in here unopened. They need not know what is actually in the crate other than that it is something very heavy," Ezra explained. 

"I'll see what I can find for you," Travis said.

"Thank you," Ezra said, then added, "I do hope that you all are willing to consider everything discussed here to be confidential. There is no need for anyone outside this room to be aware of just how much money that we have and what we intend to do with it. The fewer people that know, the less chance there is that word of exactly who Three Trees Investments consists of will reach the ears of those we do not want to be aware of that before we are ready to go public."

Travis gave a nod, saying, "I of course am bound by attorney client privilege. The rest of you might wish to consider that discussing this with others may make Miss Rocillos, Mister Tanner, and Mister Standish targets for those who would want to steal the money that they now have. I certainly would appreciate it if you did not go spreading around the fact that I am carrying the moneys that they have given me." 

Mary blinked, "Oh," she said, "I hadn't thought of that! But you are right. Having so much money to hand would make them targets." She turned to Inez, saying softly, "You may rest assured that I won't be speaking of this to anyone else. I wouldn't want any of you to become targets because of something that I said."

"Thank you, Mary," Inez said, "you are a good friend."

"Indeed," Ezra said as he pulled out his pocket watch, "thank you. Now however Vin and I must be going. It is time for us to be on patrol."

They left, Vin carrying his saddlebags and Ezra his cash box. A quick trip upstairs to hide both of them in Ezra's room and they were ready for patrol. 

*******  
Tuesday, January 10, 1871  
*******

Travis exited the bank, determinedly not letting the grin he felt building inside of him out. He didn't want Hamilton to know just how satisfying it felt to have gotten the saloon for the partners for less than what they had expected to pay. There was also the satisfaction of knowing that Hamilton had no idea who his client was. It annoyed him that the man was so blatantly prejudiced against, not only Miss Rocillos simply because she was a woman, but against his boys as well.

He blinked. 'His boys'? Where had that come from? He knew that he had a soft spot for Standish. The man reminded him of himself when he was young, before he studied for the law, back when he was young and wild and free, but when had he begun to think of Standish, Tanner, and if he was honest with himself, Larabee as 'his boys'? And why didn't he think of the rest of the seven that way? JD was younger than any of the three, so why didn't he think of him as one of 'his boys'?

Looking up the street he saw Vin, Chris and Michael loading a small roll-top desk on to a wagon parked in front of Jerry Waak's Everything Store while Ezra waved his arms around clearly attempting to supervise them. Vin and Chris ignored him while Michael just grinned as the other two proceeded to load the wagon as if Ezra wasn't talking. Travis chuckled to himself and headed up the street towards them.

As he reached them he carefully schooled his face into a bland mask, but he couldn't quite keep the twinkle out of his eyes. 

Vin noticed him first, "Howdy, judge. You get us the saloon?" he asked quietly.

Ezra had started to turn towards Travis but whipped back around to look questioningly at Vin when Vin asked about the saloon. "How..?" he started.

"Seen him come out of the bank, Ez," Vin said with a smirk.

Ezra turned back towards Travis, looking him up and down, then his gaze settled on Travis' face, "You got it," he breathed, relief clear in his voice.

"How do you know?" Michael asked. "He's got a poker face as good as yours."

"His eyes," Vin and Ezra said together, then paused and looked at each other. Vin gave Ezra a nod and Ezra finished, "His eyes look happy, they look satisfied." He wet his lips then asked, "How much?"

"Twenty-eight hundred," Travis didn't even try to keep the satisfaction out of his voice. "The saloon is yours, gentlemen. Get that office set up. You're going to be needing it."

"When are you going to speak with Missus Broadhurst?" Ezra asked, eagerly.

"I thought I'd wait until tomorrow. Once you get your office set up, we'll need to make notarized copies of the deeds. You'll want to keep a set and I'll need a set to file in the land office. I'd also like to be fresh when I start negotiations with Missus Broadhurst."

"We still have a good bit of work to do in the office," Chris said, "how about we meet there after supper. If you think we need witnesses bring Mary with you."

"I'll do that. She has a Notary stamp as I do. Since I signed the bill of sale on behalf of the partnership it would be best if she notarized the transfer of title," Travis told them.

"We shall see you after supper then, Your Honor," Ezra said.

Travis tipped his hat to them and headed back up the street to the Clarion News.

*******  
Wednesday, January 11, 1871  
*******

Mary walked with Travis to the boardinghouse that stood directly across the alley from the empty hotel that was directly behind the saloon. She was well acquainted with the Widow Broadhurst and had offered to introduce him.

They had waited until after breakfast would be over before heading out. Mary had suggested that between breakfast and lunch would be the best time to catch her friend when she wasn't too busy to sit down and talk.

Travis knocked politely on the door and waited for someone to answer.

A young woman no more than sixteen or seventeen came to the door, greeting Mary familiarly, "Mary what a pleasure. Do come in."

"Thank you, Anna, is your mother available? My father-in-law would like to speak to her concerning the purchase of the boardinghouse."

"Oh, she is quite busy, but I'm sure that she will make time to speak to someone interested in buying. I'll let her know you are here," Anna said as she led them into the parlor. "If you will just wait here."

She left them to fetch her mother, returning in just a few minutes.

Travis stood as the older woman entered the room. 

Mary rose as well and greeted her, "Amanda, it is so good to see you. Please allow me to introduce my father-in-law, Orin Travis."

"Judge Travis," Amanda Broadhurst said. She was a tall, sturdy, no-nonsense woman in her late forties or early fifties. Her hair was iron grey and her eyes a deep brown. She greeted him with,  
"A pleasure to meet you sir," then got straight to business, "Anna tells me that you are interested in buying the boardinghouse."

"I represent a small investment firm that is interested in acquiring businesses in this area. Mary wrote me that you were thinking of selling and assured me that the boardinghouse was a profitable business. Might I inquire why you wish to sell?"

"My sister back east is recently widowed. She and I were our parents only children. She is not in the best of health and has asked that I return east and care for her."

Travis nodded, "And you wish to return to assist her." 

"Yes. However I must inform you that I need to get the price that I am asking for the boardinghouse. I cannot allow it to go for less than four thousand dollars."

"I had been told that that was the asking price. My client is concerned with whether you will be leaving behind everything necessary to run the boardinghouse, all the furnishings, the stove, dishes, pots and pans, bed linens, curtains and rugs."

"I am taking only a few trunks with clothing, pictures, mementos and books. I had planned to sell mine and my children's bedroom furnishings as well."

"How much are you expecting to get for them?"

"I had hoped for at least a hundred and fifty dollars, however Mister Waak down at the Everything Store has not as yet agreed to give me what I am asking. I fear that I shall have to accept whatever I can get."

"I see, so, everything that is necessary to run the boardinghouse is included in the four thousand dollars."

"Yes," she said, tiredly. 

Travis thought a long moment then asked, "My client wishes to keep the boardinghouse running. How many boarders do you have?"

"There are eight still here. I normally have a full house. I have ten rooms to let," Missus Broadhurst told him.

He nodded, "I understand that you and your daughters have been doing all the work of running the boardinghouse, are they all going with you?"

Anna spoke up, "Mother wants us to, however, I will soon be eighteen and my boyfriend has asked me to marry him. I intend to stay."

"Anna," her mother began reprovingly.

"No, mother. I want to marry Nick. I want to stay here. I've never even met Aunt Muriel and I have no desire to live in some huge city. Nellie and Millie feel the same."

"Nellie and Millie are only fifteen!" 

"Plenty of girls are married at their age, Mother. I could run the boardinghouse with their help. I already help you with the books. Nellie and Millie do the shopping, the gardening, the cooking and the cleaning."

"My clients will probably do the books themselves," Travis said.

Missus Broadhurst looked up at him and asked, "The investment company is someone here in town?"

Travis hesitated, frowning as he realized that he had given away more than he intended, then said, "Yes."

"Can you tell me who it is?" Missus Broadhurst asked.

"They have asked me not to reveal their identity at this time," Travis told her.

Anna was looking thoughtful then she gasped, "Mister Standish!" she blurted. "He was asking me just last week how much you wanted for the house, lock stock and barrel as he put it. He and Mister Tanner were gone all weekend. I bet he went to win the money."

"Anna! The man is a gambler! I couldn't sell to him."

"He's one of the seven, Mother, and a very nice man, gambler or not. He's the one that stopped that drunken cowboy from harassing me a couple of months ago. He wasn't even on duty that afternoon, but he stopped the man and made certain that I got inside safely before he arrested him and hauled him off to the jail."

"Well," her mother said uncertainly, then turned to Travis and asked, "you said clients, who are the others in the company?"

Travis sighed then said, "Mister Tanner and Miss Rocillos."

Anna looked triumphant, "You know that Mister Tanner is a nice man, Mother. He cuts firewood for you all the time and even taught Jarrod how to use the hatchet so that he could cut kindling and Inez is very nice too. She gave me a recipe for Spanish style rice that Nick absolutely loves."

Her mother looked conflicted. "I know that you are determined to remain here, Anna, and I really cannot stop you. You are old enough to marry without my permission. But Nellie and Millie…" she trailed off.

"Don't want to go back east, Mother and they will be sixteen in just four months," Anna said firmly. "They'll come back as soon as they can, and you know it. They're even more stubborn than I am." 

"If it helps," Mary put in quietly, "From what Ezra has said, Inez will be the one who will be managing the boardinghouse. He plans to hire another bartender for the saloon, promote Catherine to head cook over there and hire a maid to attend to the rooms upstairs. If Anna can take over as head cook here, and Nellie and Millie can continue to do as they have been, I'm sure that they could stay here, in their own rooms free of charge plus they would be getting paid."

"But still, he is a gambler… how can I trust him not to take advantage of my girls?"

"Missus Broadhurst," Travis said, "Ezra Standish is a great many things but one thing that he is not is the kind of man that would harm a woman or a child."

Missus Broadhurst looked at her daughter, sadly, "You absolutely will not come with me will you?" 

"No. I am staying here and if Mister Standish and Inez want me to work for them, then I will."

"If I force Nellie and Millie to come with me, they will resent me and they'll run away and try to get back here, putting themselves in danger. 

"Why don't you talk to Ezra," Mary suggested. "I assure you that, as Anna said, gambler or not, he can be a perfect gentleman. He has never been anything other than completely respectful to me. The only people that I have ever known him to be disrespectful to are those who look down on him. If you are respectful towards him, he will be respectful towards you."

Travis nodded, "He does tend to give as good as he gets."

Missus Broadhurst looked conflicted then sighed, "I need to sell this place and get on the way back east. Muriel has been alone without family to care for her too long as is. Mister Standish is offering the full four thousand, correct?"

"Yes," Travis said.

"Very well, but I do want to talk to him before we close the deal."

"I'll go and get him," Mary said. "He's usually up by this time of morning."

As Mary departed, Missus Broadhurst frowned and said, "I'm still not certain about that man. I mean really, he's seldom up before mid-morning."

"Mister Standish is not lazy, madame. He habitually takes the midnight patrol which ends at four in the morning in town as well as the early afternoon patrol. He seldom goes to bed before five in the morning and is up by ten or eleven, so he actually sleeps only five or six hours per night," Travis informed her. "He has already said that when I no longer need him and Mister Tanner to continue as peacekeepers that he will most likely confine his gambling to Friday and Saturday nights and try to keep more regular hours the rest of the week." 

He gave her a piercing look, "I would not have taken him on as a client if I did not believe that he is trying to become a better man. He has already made considerable changes to his life style. He has settled down here. He has become an integral part of the peacekeeping force here. Now, he's trying to move away from being a gambler and trying to become a businessman, an honest businessman."

"Then why didn't he want me to know that he is the one that wants to buy my boardinghouse? Why did he send you?"

"Mother," Anna said in an annoyed voice, "it's because you would have refused to even consider selling to him if he had come to you himself. That's why he formed the company. Because people only see the gambler and not the man." 

"Miss Anna," Ezra's soft drawl came from the doorway, gently chiding, "you should not speak harshly to your mother, especially when you only have a little more time to spend with her before being separated for a considerable time, perhaps even permanently." 

As he stepped into the room, Missus Broadhurst noticed that his hat was already off and in his hand. He nodded politely to her then turned to Travis. 

"That said, I believe that we had agreed to keep the names of the owners of Three Trees Investments confidential," he said, disappointedly. 

"We did," Travis confirmed, "and I apologize for my indiscretion. I let it slip that the owner of the firm lived in town and Miss Anna immediately guessed that you were involved."

Ezra raised an eyebrow, turning to Anna, "Really?"

Anna laughed, "Yes, I did. After all it was only last week that you asked me how much Mother wanted for the house and if she would be leaving everything necessary to run it. You were quite detailed in your inquiries." She turned to look at her mother, "He even asked if we would be leaving the chamber pots."

"One must know if one is getting everything that one requires to run a business or only almost everything. There is a difference and it can cost one money. However, that is not why you have asked me here, is it?" Ezra said.

He turned to Missus Broadhurst, "What is it that you wish to speak with me about, Madame?"

"Anna, Nellie and Millie do not want to go east with me," she began.

Ezra nodded, then looked over at Anna, "Can I presume that young Mister Ludwick has finally popped the question?"

"Yes, as soon as I told him that Mother was going back east and intended to take me with her."

"I don't see a ring."

"I told him to save his money for a wedding band," she told him, her chin coming up defiantly. "There's no need to waste money on a fancy engagement ring when we need to buy a house. Jewelry and fripperies can come after we have established a home." 

"A wise woman. I hope he is aware of how lucky he is to have you."

"He is," Anna replied, confidently, smiling happily.

Ezra gave her another nod, then turned back to her mother, "I can see where you would be concerned about allowing your other daughters to remain here. They are what? Fifteen?"

"Yes, although they will be sixteen in a few months," Missus Broadhurst said. "Anna has suggested that they might remain here in the boardinghouse helping you, Miss Rocillos and Mister Tanner to run it."

"And you are concerned about leaving your daughters in the care of a gambler, a barmaid and a bounty hunter. I can understand that." He paused a long moment then asked with a twinkle in his eye, "Have you met my mother? She has been to town a couple of times."

"I believe I met her, once."

"She is quite a formidable woman, wouldn't you agree?"

"She certainly seemed so," Missus Broadhurst said in puzzled voice.

"Well, I can assure you that should I even think of doing anything to disrespect your daughters, my mother would happily take my head off at the shoulders and mail it to you in a box. She may have raised me to be a professional gambler, but she also taught me to treat all women with respect, to guard them and protect them just as I would her or my darling, baby sister."

"I didn't know that you had a sister," Mary said.

"Annabelle was six years younger than me. She died of fever the year before the war began. She was sixteen," Ezra said. He wet his lips and blinked a couple of times, then said, "Nellie and Millie remind me of her. They have the same curly, dark-brown hair, the same sprinkle of freckles across their noses that she had. Every time that I see them I think of her. I assure you, Madame, that not only need you never worry that I would abuse them in any way," his voice grew fierce, and his eyes blazed, "but you may rest assured that I will personally kill any man that lays a hand on them."

Missus Broadhurst gasped and looked around in dismay.

Ezra sighed and shook his head, "My apologizes, dear lady. I did not mean to frighten you, but I have very strong feelings about the kind of men who would harm a woman or a child. If it is acceptable to you, I would be more than happy to have your daughters work for me here at the boardinghouse and I will treat them as if they were my own children." 

He turned to Anna, "Free room and board for all three of you. You can keep your current rooms, there is no need for you to move at all. Miss Rocillos will be the manager, but you would be head cook. I understand that the cook at the hotel gets two dollars a day, would that be sufficient? Also, do you normally serve meals every day or do you let your boarders fend for themselves on Saturdays and/or Sundays?"

"Two dollars a day? That… That would be more than sufficient, and we serve three meals a day, every day, year round," Anna said. "Although I might like a day off now and then."

"We can work out a schedule so that you can have at least one day per week off. I will hire at least one other person to assist here. You may also wish to train Nellie and Millie to take over when you marry Mister Ludwick. What all do the twins do besides help you in the kitchen?"

"They do all the cleaning, make the beds, gather the laundry and take it down to the china man to wash, and empty the chamber pots daily. They also do the shopping and tend the garden," Anna informed him.

"I believe that the chambermaids down at the hotel get fifty cents per day plus tips, would that be sufficient for each of the twins?"

Anna looked at her mother. 

Missus Broadhurst nodded, "I believe that that would be agreeable."

Ezra turned to Missus Broadhurst, "Are you taking your personal furniture with you or do you wish to sell it?"

"I was hoping to sell it. It is really much more economical to sell anything heavy and buy more back east rather than ship it that far... and I may not need to buy more as Muriel may have furniture that we can use."

"I was hoping that you planned to sell your bedroom furnishings. Anna and the twins will of course wish to retain ownership of their personal bedroom furnishings, however that leaves what? Three rooms or four including yours?"

"Three. Mine, Jerrod's and Jenny's. Of course, the children's rooms all have single beds. The bed in my room is a large four poster. I was hoping to get—"

"I will give you five hundred dollars, if you leave behind all the furniture, beds, dressers, night tables, dressing tables, wash stands, bed linens, rugs, curtains, and chamber pots."

Missus Broadhurst blinked then nodded, " Agreed."

"Then I owe you forty-five hundred dollars for the house, the land it sits on and everything necessary to run the boarding house and the furnishings in your personal quarters. Is that correct?"

"Yes," Missus Broadhurst said.

"Excellent." He turned to Travis, "If you can take care of the paperwork, I need to get back to the saloon. Inez has promised to teach me to make fajitas."

"I'll bring the paperwork by tonight," Travis told him.

"Thank you," he turned to Missus Broadhurst, "I would be most appreciative, Madame if you would not tell anyone who exactly bought your house. I have several other properties that I wish to acquire. The bank holds their deeds and I doubt that Mister Hamilton would be happy if he found out that I am one of the people that is buying them."

She nodded. "I have never liked that man. When he took over the bank from the previous manager, he tried to tell me that my savings account only drew simple interest. Fortunately, I had the paperwork from when Harold opened the account and could prove that it was set up as compound interest. I will be certain not to mention who purchased my house to anyone and I'll make sure that the girls know not to as well."

"Thank you, Madame, and good day to you all," he bowed politely and turned to go.

"I'll walk back to the saloon with you," Mary said, "I want to speak to Inez for a moment."

Missus Broadhurst stepped to the door watching them as they left.

Ezra waited until he was outside to return his hat to his head and offer Mary his arm, guiding her across the porch and down the steps to the alley, escorting her to the back door of the saloon.

*******  
TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New characters in this section.  
Miss Anna Broadhurst, daughter of Amanda Broadhurst, who owns the boardinghouse. She and her sisters, Millie and Nellie will be remaining in Four Corners and continuing to run the boardinghouse. 
> 
> Nicolas (Nick) Ludwick, Anna's gentleman friend, soon to be husband.
> 
> The Widow Amanda Broadhurst: She sells the boardinghouse to Three Trees Investments and will be leaving town along with her younger children, Jerrod and Jenny.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go awry. Bad guys attempt to kidnap Judge Travis. Travis, Ezra and Michael are injured. Vin and Inez tend to an injured Ezra, staying the night with him. Vin and Ezra head out for Black Rock. A previous poker opponent shows up. Vin and Ezra make some new friends, expanding Ezra's information network.
> 
> Also: I've seen fan-fiction where it is Ezra's right shoulder that is dislocated in the Pilot and was thinking that it was that shoulder when I originally wrote this. After re-watching the Pilot to see which it was, I realized that it was the shoulder opposite where he wears the Remington in a side holster. When he is facing us it is on our right therefore it is his left shoulder that was dislocated. So I had to do some editing to reflect that. Hopefully I caught every where that I had it being his right shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get back to this. After taking off writing for the holidays, I kind of lost the thread on this and had to re-read everything that I had written and go over my notes to get back into it.

******  
Four Corners  
Thursday January 12, 1871  
*******

The sun was barely up as Orin Travis headed across the street from the Clarion News to the saloon. He wanted to catch Vin and Ezra before they left on patrol. As he saw the two men in question already walking away from the saloon towards the livery, he was glad that he had been used to rising with the sun for his entire life, all sixty-six years of it. If he had been five minutes later he would have missed them.

Stepping down from the boardwalk in front of the Clarion, he hailed them, "Mister Standish! Mister Tanner! Might I have a moment of your time?" he called.

The two men turned back and started walking towards him. When they met up in front of the jail, Ezra greeted him with a polite, "Good morning, Judge. What may we do for you?" 

Vin just gave him a nod and a soft, "Howdy."

"I wanted to speak to you for a moment concerning the other properties you want me to purchase for you," Orin said.

Ezra looked around and although there were few people on the street suggested, "Perhaps we could step into the jail to discuss this."

Orin nodded, saying with a smile, "Let people think that this is peacekeeper business."

Ezra gave a relieved sigh and nodded.

Travis turned and led them into the jail where Chris was on duty.

Chris glanced up at the clock as they came in, "You got nearly a quarter hour until you're due to relieve me, Ez," he said with an amused glint in his eyes.

"I asked to speak to Mister Standish and Mister Tanner for a moment before they started patrol," Travis said.

"Official business?" Chris asked.

"Personal business," Travis replied.

"Then I'll leave you to it," Chris said, rising.

"That is not necessary, Mister Larabee," Ezra said. 

At the same time Vin said, "Ya ain't gotta go, Chris."

"In fact," Ezra continued, "I would like you to stay. We are not ready to go public yet with our business dealings and it will appear more like Judge Travis is speaking to us about peacekeeper business if you remain."

"Fine with me," Chris said with a smile, "but if I'm going to be conspiring with you to keep folks from figuring out that you, Vin, and Inez are Three Trees Investments, then you have to start calling me Chris."

Ezra opened his mouth to respond then, shut it again, hesitated a moment then said, "Very well, Mister Larabee," he gave a cheeky grin then added, "From now on, Chris it is."

Chris grinned and leaned back into the chair. Looking to Travis he said, "So, what is this about, Judge?"

Travis turned to speak to Ezra and Vin, "I managed to get the saloon for two-hundred dollars less than the original asking price and we also got the boardinghouse for less than you had allowed for it. Therefore, I have seven hundred dollars more than what we had allowed for the other five properties. Since the bank holds the mortgages on four of the buildings that you want, that is all the other properties except the Cigar Store, I would like to negotiate for all four at once."

Vin looked over at Ezra, "Ya did say that the Cigar Store could wait if need be."

Ezra frowned before saying, "I know what I said; however the Cigar Store is a going business. It may not be turning a large profit, but it does have the potential to do so. All the other properties are simply empty buildings." 

He frowned, thinking for a long moment, then asked, "How much do you think you could save us?"

"I believe I might be able to save you as much as five or six hundred dollars. As you said, they are standing empty now and three of the four have been empty for quite some time. I believe that I can get them for that, then you would still have more than enough money to buy the Cigar Store."

Ezra hesitated then said, "Do it."

Travis gave him a nod, "Good. I'll speak to Hamilton this morning. I should have a good idea how likely I am to get the price that I want by the time you return from patrol."

"If that's decided, reckon that I best be getting' on ta patrol. See ya fer lunch, Ez, Chris," Vin said and headed out the door.

"And you may consider yourself relieved of watch Mist—", Ezra broke off at the glare that Chris sent him and, with a rueful smile, corrected himself to, "Chris."

Chris stood up and stepped around the desk, grinning as he clapped him on the back as he went passed. "That's my name. Get used to using it." He looked to the Judge, "Care to join me for breakfast, sir?"

"I've already eaten, but I could use another cup of coffee," Travis said, then glancing back at Ezra added, "Good day, Mister Standish." 

Ezra smiled at him again and circled around the desk to drop into the chair Chris had vacated. "Good day, gentlemen," he said as he pulled out his deck of cards.

*******  
Thursday January 12, 1871  
Early afternoon  
*******

Vin, already mounted on Peso, had just lead Chaucer out of the livery to where Ezra was standing talking to Chris when they heard a woman screaming from up the street in the direction of the saloon.

Chris was the first one to identify Mary's voice.

Turning to look up the street they saw a group of men on horseback charging down the street towards them guns out, shooting at the townspeople as the people attempted to get out of the way.

Chris drew his gun, ducked behind a watering trough and began firing back at the riders.

Vin pulled his mare's leg and began to fire as well. 

While they missed the riders, several of the bullets grazed the horses and they began to shy and buck. The outlaws fought to get their horses under control and tried to turn back but by this time the noise had drawn Buck, JD, Nathan and Josiah out of the saloon. Seeing four guns behind them and only two ahead of them they spurred their horses back towards Chris.

Ezra, seeing them head back their way, swung up on Chaucer. From his new vantage point, he realized that one of the outlaws was leading a horse with Travis clinging to the saddle horn. Noting that Travis' hands were tied together but not tied to the saddle horn, he urged Chaucer forwards, charging into the horse of the man holding the reins to Travis' horse, knocking horse and man to the ground. As the man lost hold of the reins of Travis' horse, Ezra leapt from Chaucer and grabbed Travis pulling him out of the saddle. He fell backwards so that he was beneath Travis when they landed, breaking the older man's fall.

He gave a grunt as they hit the ground hard. Only the air being knocked out of him kept him from screaming as he felt his shoulder give, dislocating.

Clamping his teeth together to keep from screaming, he rolled the two of them until they were out of the morass of horses and men. As soon as they were clear, he tugged Travis into the alley between Bucklin's and the empty house at the end of the street. He shoved Travis behind him trapping him between his body and the wall of Bucklin's store only to look up and see one of the outlaws bearing down on them. 

The man was grinning viciously as he swung up his gun and brought it to bear on the two men.

Ezra threw up his arm, triggering the derringer and pulling the trigger. He felt Travis lifting his Remington from his holster as he fired. The last thing he saw before gave into the pain in his other shoulder and let the darkness claim him was the surprised look on the outlaw's face and the Judge's bound hands holding the Remington.

*******

Vin snarled when Ezra grabbed Chaucer's reins and swung into the saddle. He swore viciously as Ezra cut across in front of him, charging into the cluster of outlaws as they came even with the livery. He pulled his mare's leg up, not daring to keep firing until Ezra was out of his line of fire. Seeing Chaucer ram into one of the outlaws, he realized that the man had been leading a horse with Travis on its back. He saw Ezra leap from the saddle and grab Travis, pulling him down out of the line of fire. With both of them out of the saddle and below the level of the gunfire he resumed firing on the outlaws.

Chris joined him, striding out into the street, as Buck, JD, Nathan and Josiah closed in from the rear.

Caught in a crossfire the two outlaws still in the saddle threw down their guns. 

Vin kneed Peso across the road looking for Ezra and Travis hoping that none of the horses had stepped on them.

He saw them backed up against the side of Bucklin's and swung down to check on them, barely sparing the outlaw lying dead in the dirt a glance except to kick his gun away.

Travis was slumped against the side of the building, holding Ezra's Remington in his bound hands. Ezra lay unmoving against him.

"Judge?"

"I'm fine. Bruised but that's better than dead."

"Ezra?"

"There's something wrong with his shoulder. He passed out."

Vin nodded. "Probably dislocated it again." He turned and looked back towards the livery. Standing up, he yelled, "Nathan! Over here!"

A moment later Nathan was bending over Ezra, gently probing his shoulder. He nodded at Vin, "Get Josiah," he said, turning to cut the ropes off Travis' wrists. 

When Vin turned to go, Nathan asked Travis, "Are you okay?"

"Just bruised. I'll be stiff for a few days, but Ezra broke my fall. That's when he hurt his shoulder."

"Can ya help me get his jacket off? It'd be best if I pop this back in while he's still out. Could do it with his jacket on but I'd rather be able to get a better feel of it."

Travis grunted but slid the Remington back into Ezra's holster and now that his hands were free, began to work the jacket off Ezra's broad shoulders. "Anyone else hurt?"

"Not as I know," Nathan told him.

Vin returned with Josiah and Chris following behind them. As Nathan, Josiah and Vin moved Ezra away from the Judge and finished easing him out of his jacket so that Nathan could get a better look at Ezra's shoulder, Chris moved to the Judge.

"How are you?" Chris asked as Travis held up a hand and he helped the older man to his feet.

"Bruised and aching but otherwise fine."

"Good. Buck and JD are taking the other two to jail. Was it just the four of them?"

"That's all I saw."

"Any idea what they wanted with you?"

"Revenge. Apparently I had some of their kin hung and some more sent to Yuma Prison where they also died."

"Do you recognize any of them?"

Travis shook his head. "I don't recall ever having any of them brought before me."

"We'll check the posters then."

"Orin!" Mary cried, having just made her way to them. "Are you all right?" Then seeing Ezra she gasped, "Is he all right?"

"I'm fine, Mary and he will be," he paused, then asked, "Michael?"

Vin's head came up from where he was holding Ezra as Nathan strapped Ezra's arm down so he couldn't move it, "Michael? What happened to him?"

"He tried to stop them from taking me. One of them shoved him down and he hit his head."

"Nathan!" Vin snapped.

"He's alright, Vin," Mary soothed. "It's just a little bump. He's got a knot on his head but he's conscious and aware. That's what took me so long to get down here I was checking on him. Gloria's with him. He'll be fine until Nathan has time to look at him."

"Who'll be fine?" Ezra asked groggily.

"Michael," Vin told him.

"What happened?" Ezra mumbled as he struggled to sit up.

"He's all right, Ez," Vin assured as he helped Ezra up.

As the group began to limp and hobble their way across to the livery and the steps up to Nathan's clinic, Mary moved closer to Ezra as she helped Travis across the street. "It's just a little bump on the head. Gloria's bringing him up to the clinic so Nathan can check on him along with you and Orin."

"Okay," Ezra said, leaning heavily on Vin as they made their way up the steps to the clinic.

*******

Several hours later Nathan gave a deep sigh. Finally everyone was gone except him and Michael, who had a mild concussion. Nathan would be checking on him regularly throughout the rest of the evening and the night. 

It had been a madhouse for the first few minutes.

Inez had shown up almost before they had gotten in the door, worried about Vin, Ezra and Michael. 

Gloria Potter had already deposited Michael on one of the two cots in the clinic and was hovering over him like he was one of her children. 

Michael was both enjoying the attention and embarrassed by it because he thought that he was too old to be fussed over.

The room was a babble of voices.

"Ya sit right here," Vin ordered Ezra.

"No," Ezra protested, "Michael."

"Alright." Vin dragged the chair over to where Gloria was trying to get Michael to lay back on the bed as the boy kept popping up trying to see what all was going on around them.

"Michael," Ezra let Vin push him down into the chair beside Michael's bed and reached out to pull the boy into a one armed hug, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. It's just a little bump."

Inez hurried over to the three of them, "Madre Dios! Michael, what were you thinking? You could have been shot!" She hugged him then turned on Ezra, "What have you done to yourself?"

"I'm fine. It's just my shoulder…"

"Mary, I'm fine! I don't need to stay in the clinic," Travis protested as his daughter-in-law deposited him on the cot. 

"You are going to let Nathan check you!" Mary ordered.

It had taken Nathan the better part of an hour to get everyone except his patients to leave. 

Chris and Josiah had been the easiest to get to go, Chris declaring that he and Josiah would go question the two prisoners.

Gloria had then decided that with Vin, Ezra and Inez there to look after Michael she should return to her own children, promising Mary that she would look after Billy while Mary stayed with the judge.

Ezra and Michael had insisted that Nathan check the Judge out first. Ezra wanted to be certain that his dragging Travis off the horse and rolling them around in the street hadn't gotten the Judge seriously injured. 

Once Nathan had checked Travis out he gave him a bruise salve and instructed Mary to take him home, fix him a tub of hot water and Epsom salts and let him soak for a while then rub him down with the bruise cream and liniment, make him some willow bark tea and send him to bed.

They left soon after that only waiting long enough to be assured again that while Michael had a mild concussion he would be fine.

Almost before the door closed, Buck and JD came tumbling in wanting to see how Ezra, Michael and Travis were.

Once Michael was tucked into the cot and told to rest, Nathan rubbed Ezra's shoulder with liniment then handed off the bottle to Vin telling him to see to it that Ezra took a long soak in a hot tub of Epsom salts just as the Judge had been ordered to do, then rub the liniment in the shoulder again and feed him willow bark tea and send him to bed.

Finally Nathan pushed Buck and JD out the door behind Vin, Ezra and Inez and went and dropped into the chair beside Michael's bed.

Michael looked over at him and grinned, "They keep you busy, huh?"

Nathan laughed, "Lord, yeah." He reached over and patted Michael's shoulder. "You try and get some rest. I'll have ta wake ya ever two or three hours to make sure you're still alright."

"How long do I have to stay here?"

"If you're still fine in the morning, not confused or anything, I'll let you go back to helping Miss Inez. But ya gotta take it easy, no running or roughhousing for a day or two."

Michael murmured a quiet, "Okay," and lay back closing his eyes.

*******

"I want to stop at the undertaker's," Ezra said. "The one that I shot looked familiar. I want to see if I can identify him. "

"Nathan said fer ya to go straight ta the bathhouse," Vin protested.

"Si," Inez agreed.

"I am not going to the bathhouse. I have a tub in my room as you well know… and the undertakers is on the way to the saloon. It will only take a minute."

"Well," Buck said, "the two over ta the jail are refusing to give their names so, if you can put a name to him it'd give us a starting point to try and figure out who they are."

"Then it's decided," Ezra declared, "We will stop at the undertakers." He turned to smile at Inez. "There is no need for you to accompany us there. Perhaps you could see to it that Miguel sets my tub up and puts the water on to heat."

She frowned but sighed and nodded. "Very well, but do not stay too long."

"I promise you; I will just take a quick look to see if I recognize him. If I do, I'll inform Mister Wilmington and Mister Dunne of his identity then come straight home."

She still frowned but nodded again. "See that you do," she ordered. 

"I'll bring him on home, 'Nez. Quick as I can," Vin assured her.

"Gracias, Vin," she said and walked on up the street as they turned into the undertakers. She smiled to herself. Ezra and Vin had both referred to the saloon as 'home'.

A few moments later, Ezra stood looking down at the dead outlaw. He stared at the body. There were two bullet holes. One in the outlaw's side and the other under the outlaw's chin. The bullet that went through the underside of the man's chin, had exited through the top of his head but left the face intact.

Ezra swallowed hard. 

"Reckon the one in his side's yers," Vin said quietly from beside him. "The derringer don't have the power to penetrate the skull at that range. Reckon Travis did that with the Remington."

Ezra gave a snort, "I'm not even sure how I managed to eject the derringer and fire it in the first place as much pain as I was in from my shoulder."

"Ya did what ya had ta do ta stay alive, and keep the judge alive," Vin said quietly.

Ezra nodded.

"So," JD broke in, "do you know who he is?"

"Zeke Bodine. He sat at my poker table in Bristol back in November when the judge sent us there to pick up four members of the Montcliff gang and transport them to Eagle Bend to stand trial for murder and armed robbery."

"The judge sentenced those boys to hang," Buck said.

"Two of the boys were Bodines. Almost certainly family members," Ezra agreed.

"I'll pull the posters on the boys and see if they list him as a known associate," JD said. "They'll be in the deceased file."

"There should be a poster on Caleb Montcliff in the active posters file," Ezra said. "He was the gang leader and the other two boys were his sons."

"We'll check that, too," Buck assured him, "now you two better head on to the saloon 'fore Inez comes after you with a broom."

Ezra chuckled softly and turned to go, leaning on Vin a little more than technically necessary.

*******

Buck and JD walked into the jail and found Chris and Josiah already there.

"Any luck getting them two to talk?" Buck asked.

"Not a bit," Josiah told them.

"Well, Ezra identified one of the dead ones. His name was Zeke Bodine." Buck said to Chris. "Ez figures that he was kin to the two Bodines that me 'n you, 'n him 'n Vin went to Bristol to pick up back in November. The two boys that were with the Bodines were Montcliffs so we're gonna pull all their posters out of the deceased file and see who they mighta been hanging out with."

"Good," Chris said, walking over to look over JD's shoulder as the sheriff flipped through the file drawer that they kept the posters for outlaws that had been confirmed as deceased.

JD quickly pulled out the Bodines posters and the folder that was with them. Ezra had alphabetized the deceased posters so that finding the one you were looking for was easy. He handed the two files to Chris and flipped through to the m's and soon had the Montcliff posters and folders as well.

"These are pretty thick, JD," Chris said. "Ezra must have made a lot of notes during the trials."

"He usually does, and outside the trial too. He pays attention when he's on duty in the jail and they start talking among themselves," JD said. "He says that outlaws tend to have family that are outlaws, and they tend to want revenge when one of their family is hung so it's smart to pay attention to anything that they say about their families."

After a moment's silence, JD looked up and grinned, "Buck look in the active posters and see if you can find Caleb Montcliff. Ezra says that he's Robert and Milton Montcliff's father and we're supposed to have a poster on him."

"Does it say when the poster would have come in?" Buck asked. While Ezra filed the deceased outlaws strictly by alphabet, he filed the active posters by the month that they came in then alphabetically within that month.

"His note says September last year," JD told him.

Buck quickly found the poster then grunted.

"What?" Chris asked.

"Reckon we can move this one to the deceased file. It's the other body over at Peterson's."

"Okay, keep looking for the posters on their known associates and see if we can find these two," Chris ordered. "I'm going to head over to the saloon. See if Ezra remembers anymore about these boys."

It took another hour, but they finally identified the two men in the cells: Luke Houseman and Bradley Faulkner. The men were half-brothers as well as cousins to the Bodines and the Montcliffs. They also had family that Travis had sentenced to Yuma Prison, Houseman's younger brother, Damon and Faulkner's nephew, Handley Faulkner. 

The discouraging thing was that there were half a dozen more relatives mentioned in Ezra's notes, most of whom they had posters on.

*******

By the time that Vin and Ezra made it to the saloon, Miguel had Ezra's tub set up beside the stove in his bedroom and buckets of water heating on the stove in the room as well as on the saloon stove downstairs.

Inez followed them up the stairs and into Ezra's room without the slightest hesitation. She put the teapot that she had picked up in the kitchen on the stove, then drew the heavy curtains across the window as Vin helped Ezra remove the gunbelt with the Remington and hang it on the bed post. He lay the shoulder holster with the Colt Conversion in it on the dresser along with the derringer rig. 

Nathan had taken both the shoulder holster and the derringer rig off of Ezra so that he could remove Ezra's waistcoat and shirt to rub the liniment into his shoulder. 

As he sat in the rocker, Ezra slowly rotated his arm in the shoulder socket, knowing that if he didn't try to move it, it would stiffen up much worse. 

"Does it hurt badly?" Inez asked as she fixed him a cup of willow bark tea.

"It aches, darling, but I am used to it."

She nodded then said, "When you finish the tea, take off your shirt, I will rub more liniment into your shoulder. When you get into the tub it will help the hot water take some of the ache away."

"Do I need more liniment? I'm drinking the tea and I do thank you for adding honey to it, dear lady."

"It will be another half hour at least until there is enough hot water for your bath. It will not hurt to put more Liniment on before you soak."

"She's right, Ez," Vin put in. "I always get Nate ta rub my back down good 'fore I take me a good long soak at the bathhouse."

"You do know, Vin that you are always welcome to use my tub. You as well, Inez. There is no reason that any of us need to visit the bathhouse and pay for a bath when I have a tub that can be placed in any of the rooms. In fact when we buy the house behind us, I intend to designate a room just for the tub so that it is available to all of us all the time."

"That will be very nice," Inez said. "Now, remove that shirt so that I can rub your shoulder."

*******

An hour and a half later Vin helped a very sleepy Ezra from the tub, dried him off and helped him into a pair of his fine silk underpants and a loose silk shirt then tucked him into bed. 

Heading down stairs Vin spoke to Inez, "Do ya want to close early to night? I know how worried ya are about Ez."

"We do not have much business," she said thoughtfully.

"Townsfolk tend ta stick close to home after a dust-up like today," Vin said with a nod. "Ya wanna close up, me'n Chris can move these folks along, ain't but a couple of 'em."

"Si. We will close now. Catherine has already taken sus chicas and gone home," Inez told him. She looked up at him with longing in her eyes.

Vin stepped closer, pulling her into a hug. "You gonna be alright?"

She sighed leaning against him, "He takes too many chances," she said softly.

"Don't I know it!" he said with a sigh. "I was right there an' I couldn't stop him. He jumped on Chaucer, rammed that fella's horse then jumped off and took Travis out of the saddle almost 'fore I could blink. They's under all those horses and everybody was shootin'. It's a dang miracle that neither one of them got stepped on or shot."

For a long moment they stood there hanging on to each other. Then Vin drew back a bit, "Ya wanna sleep with us tonight? I know I'll have nightmares if I ain't where I can touch him, so as I know for sure that he's alright."

"You will not mind?"

"Wouldn't've asked if I minded. Ain't like we'll be doing anything but sleeping."

"Si," she said softly, "I would like that."

Vin kissed her forehead softly then let her go. "I'll tell Chris we're closing. You can wait till tomorra to clean up 'n do the books."

Half an hour later they slipped into bed with Ezra, Vin behind him spooning Ezra with his arm around Ezra's waist and Inez in front with Ezra spooning her, with his injured arm resting on her. 

Ezra never woke completely just sighed in his sleep and snuggled closer.

*******  
Friday, January 13, 1871  
Early morning  
*******

Vin and Ezra were eating breakfast in the saloon when Nathan and Michael joined them.

"Good morning, Mister Jackson, Michael," Ezra said then looking at Michael asked, "How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts, but Mister Nathan says that's to be expected," Michael said.

"He's fine, Ez. It's a real mild concussion. He's got a knot but everything I've read says that if it's swelling on the outside, it ain't swelling on the inside so that's probably a good thing." He inclined his head to indicate the sling that Ezra was wearing, "Glad to see that you're wearing the sling I sent home with ya."

"Well, Mister Tanner threatened to refuse to allow me to head out for Black Rock this morning if I did not," Ezra said sulking just a bit.

"You still planning to go?"

"Unless the judge or Chris requests that we do not. Chris was here when we came down and said he'd check with the judge but did not think it would be a problem for us to go," Ezra said.

"You gonna be able to play one-handed?" Michael asked.

Ezra chuckled, "Oh, yes and having the arm in a sling will make my opponents feel that I'm unlikely to be a threat."

"More fool them," Vin put in.

Ezra laughed. "Well, you'd be surprised just how many fools sit down at the poker table, Mister Tanner," he said with a fond smile.

Chris rejoined them with Buck and JD in tow. Travis followed close behind them and pulled out a chair to join the group.

Looking pointedly at Ezra's sling, Travis said, "You have permission to go to Black Rock, assuming of course that you are feeling up to the ride."

"Are you sure? How are you feeling this morning?" Ezra asked.

"I'm stiff and sore but it will work itself out if I keep moving," Travis assured him. "You were hurt worse than I was. I am grateful that you broke my fall but regret that you were hurt doing so." 

He paused while Molly poured him a cup of coffee and he ordered his breakfast then continued, "I spoke to Hamilton about the other properties that you want yesterday but nothing definite was decided. I thought I could continue the negotiations today…." he said, letting it trail off inquiringly.

Vin and Ezra exchanged looks then Ezra said, "Perhaps you could hold off on that until Monday."

"If that's what you want, I will. However, I'd like to know why?"

Ezra looked a bit embarrassed then sighed. "Today is Friday the thirteenth." 

Travis blinked, "If you are superstitious about Friday the thirteenth, why are you still going to Black Rock. Surely you don't want to play cards today if you feel it's bad luck."

"He ain't plannin' ta play today," Vin said stressing the word 'play'. "It'll take us most of the day just ta get to Black Rock if we take it easy."

"Yes. We will spend tonight in the hotel. Tomorrow I will find a game. Tomorrow isn't Friday and it won't be the thirteenth. While that means I will only have one day to play, there are several wealthy gentlemen that reside there. I am quite certain that I can persuade them to give me a game. I should be able to at least win enough to make it worth my time to go."

"Tell 'em that you're goin' ta the tourney in Bitter Creek an' ask iffn any of them are," Vin suggested. "Then ya can suggest that y'all have a game to practice playing tourney rules."

"That is an excellent idea. If none of them have played by tournament rules before they may not be aware of how strict they can be," Travis said. "I certainly wasn't the first time that I played in a tournament."

"You've played in a poker tournament?" JD asked eagerly.

Buck just nodded as if that explained something to him, then looked at Ezra and grinned. That just might explain Travis' new attitude towards the gambler.

Travis gave JD a smile, saying, "As a young man long before I married. Unfortunately I didn't win. I was a better than average player, but Brad Maverick was there, and he won it."

Ezra looked over at the Judge when he mentioned the name, "Brad was Bret and Bart's father wasn't he?"

"I believe so, however I can't swear to it. He had two brothers, Bentley and Bartley, who were twins. The entire clan played cards for a living. I imagine that most if not all of their sons do as well."

"Do they all have names that start with B," JD asked.

Ezra laughed. "I believe that they named their sons that way deliberately. The boys all favor and dress much the same. With similar names it is easy to confuse people. Most people end up not quite sure just which one of the Mavericks they were losing to."

"Have you ever played any of them?" Buck asked.

"Yes, but only when I'm flush and looking for a challenge. The Mavericks are too good to play when you can't afford to lose. I'm rather glad that I know that they have no plans to come this far west at the moment. I would hate to have to compete with them at Bitter Creek."

"How do you know that they aren't coming?" Chris asked.

"Bret, Bart and I correspond. Bret's last letter said that he was working the riverboats. He was doing well and had no plans to come farther west than the Mississippi in the next few months. Bart is in New Orleans. He is currently running a casino for a friend who had been badly injured. He won't leave his friend to fend for herself just to play in a tournament. She was thrown from a carriage that overturned and broke both her legs. It will be some time before she's back on her feet."

Nathan nodded at that, "Be at least two months for the bones ta knit, then she'll have to build her strength back up from being off her feet so long. Probably be three/four months total till she's really back ta normal. Might always have some pain in her legs. Depends on how good the doc that set 'em was."

"Indeed so it is unlikely that I will have to face them in Bitter Creek and if one or both of them should show up, then I'll just have to play better than they do," Ezra said decisively. He pushed away his plate and stood, "Now if you are absolutely certain that you don't need us to stay, we'll be on our way."

"We're sure. You two head on out," Chris said.

"What about the rest of Montcliff and Bodine's families? Are you sure that you can deal with them if they show up?" Ezra asked.

"Two of them are still in Yuma and that only leaves four. We're taking precautions. We'll take their posters around to all the shops, make sure that everyone knows to be on the lookout. Then post the pictures on the jail porch. We're moving the Judge into the boardinghouse with me. Mary and Billy will be staying with Gloria Potter. Michael is going to sleep in one of the rooms upstairs here where Inez and the girls can keep an eye on him. We're getting Rafe Moseley, Tinker Mitchell, Bob Whitten and Bill McCardle to do the in town patrols. Buck and JD will do the night shift at the jail and Josiah and Nathan will do the day shift. Everybody works in pairs. We all have breakfast and supper together. Everybody that's awake has lunch together."

Ezra nodded, "Alright, expect us back by Sunday sundown, we shall return sooner if we can."

"Won't be able to travel at night, Ez. Won't be a full moon," Vin said.

"I know. It's the last quarter tomorrow night. Still we can leave about an hour before sunrise, the predawn light should be sufficient. We can walk the horses and follow the road until the sun is fully up, then we can pick up the pace and cut across country."

"Will the game be done by then?"

"I'll try to get it started in the early evening, no later than six or seven. If I can get them to play tournament rules it shouldn't last too long. None of the players that I have in mind are that good. We should finish before midnight. That will give us several hours sleep and we can still be home by mid-afternoon if we make good time."

"Alright," Chris said, "but don't rush trying to get back here. We'll be fine. I doubt that we'll have trouble this weekend. We might need you to cancel next weekend, but we'll deal with that when it gets here."

"It might not hurt ta let the sheriffs in the towns around know ta keep a lookout for any of the Montcliffs, Bodines, Housemans or Faulkners an' have them let us know if they see any of them," Vin said.

"I'd already planned to send out some telegrams today," JD said.

"Good. Then we'll see y'all Sunday," Ezra said, picking up his hat from the table where he had laid it while he ate.

Vin joined him and they headed out to the livery where Matthew quickly saddled Chaucer for Ezra while Vin saddled Peso.

*******  
Friday, January 13, 1871 late afternoon  
Black Rock, The Traveler's Rest Inn  
*******

Vin pushed through the door into the hotel lobby first, catching and holding it for Ezra who followed him in, tiredly. Ezra's left arm was still in the sling.

They crossed the lobby to the front desk and rang the bell for service. 

As they waited for the clerk to show up, a man stepped out of the hotel bar. He glanced across the lobby towards them then looked again.

Vin felt his hackles raise and turned to see what had caused it.

A man was striding across the lobby towards them, "Winthrop!" he called.

Vin stepped forwards, moving slightly between Ezra and the man as Ezra registered that the man was addressing him.

Ezra turned to face the man, carefully smoothing his face into a pleasant mask.

"Jake Harken, Mister Winthrop," the man said, "we played a few hands over in Bristol a couple of months back. Surely you remember me?"

"Mister Harken," Ezra greeted the man neutrally.

Harken extended his hand, but Ezra made no move to take it, instead moving his right hand to rub his left arm, letting his face tighten in pain.

"Oh, sorry," Harken said, dropping his hand. 

Vin scowled at him and pointedly moved to block him from getting too close to Ezra's left side.

"What are you doing here?" Ezra asked.

"I had some business over here and then I remembered that this was where you lived. I was hoping to get a chance to win back some of my money." Harken frowned, "If you live here, why are you staying at the hotel?"

"I am a bachelor and I travel frequently for my work. I see no reason to maintain a household when a hotel suits my needs just fine. Now if you will excuse me it has been a long day." He turned back to the registration desk and reached for the pen to sign in.

"Oh, alright, perhaps I'll see you tomorrow, Winthrop."

Ezra grimaced with his back turned to Harken but nodded and said, "Tomorrow."

The clerk, who had come up to the desk while Ezra and Harken had been talking, said, loudly, "Welcome back, Mister Winthrop. The suite you had last time hasn't been rented since you left, if you'd like it back."

Ezra looked up at the grinning clerk, who promptly winked at him. Ezra sighed, shrugged and signed the register with 'Ethan Winthrop'.

The clerk turned around, grabbed a key off the board and turned back, "So, how long will you be with us this time?" he asked as his eyes tracked Harken out the door. When the man was gone, he said, quietly, "If you don't want the suite just say so, Mister Standish and I'll give you something else."

Ezra glanced over his shoulder to make sure that Harken was gone then asked, "May I inquire as to why you went along with deceiving Mister Harken?"

The clerk made a derisive sound, "That man is awful. He treats all of us who work here like dirt then expects us to jump to attention when he wants us to do something for him. He's even disrespectful to Mister Jordan, the owner." 

"I see," Ezra said quietly. He gave a sharp nod then asked, "The suite has two rooms correct?" 

"Yeah and there's an alcove in the bedroom with a bathtub and stove for heating the water. I can have water sent up if you want a bath."

"Nate said to soak in a hot tub ever chance ya got," Vin reminded him. "I brung the salts and the liniment."

Ezra nodded, turning back to the clerk, "The suite will be fine. I may wish to run a private game in my room. Will I be able to get extra chairs should I need them?"

"There's a table and four chairs up there. If you like I can get you four more, that's about all you can seat at the table."

"I'll let you know if I need them." He reached in his pocket and took out a silver dollar, "For you, young man, for being quick on the uptake and supporting a guest."

"Anytime. I've heard some tales about Ethan Winthrop. Kinda glad I got to meet him," the young man said with another grin.

"I am pleased to meet you as well. What is your name?"

"Evan, Evan Kindle and thank you for the tip. You just let me know if I can be of farther service."

"I will. Thank you again." 

"Have you had supper?" Evan asked.

"Nope," Vin told him. "Could ya bring us something up ta the room?"

"Sure, I'll have cook fix a couple of plates. You can eat while you wait for the water to heat for Mister…" he hesitated.

"Winthrop," Ezra said, "as we have started with that name we will continue to use it."

"Yes, sir, Mister Winthrop!" Evan grinned, and giving them a nod, headed for the hotel kitchen.

*******

Vin shadowed Ezra up the stairs, guarding his left side and the injured arm.

Stepping into the suite, Ezra smiled. The sitting room was open and uncluttered. There was a fireplace on one wall with wood stacked beside it. A large round table with four chairs arrayed around it was in one corner. A sideboard sat against one wall, containing dishes, a coffee pot and a tea kettle. There were also a couple of plush armchairs sitting beside the fireplace.

He moved through to the bedroom. Aside from the bed, dresser, washstand and a wardrobe, it contained a potbellied stove with a box full of firewood beside it. He checked out the alcove and found a full-size claw-foot tub big enough for Buck or Josiah let alone him or Vin.

He gave Vin a smile as the tracker dropped their saddlebags on the dresser and moved to check the stove. "This is quite nice," he said.

"Yep," Vin agreed. "Fire's laid. All I gotta do is get it started an' the room will warm up so ya can take your soak. I'll lite the fireplace, too."

"Thank you."

"Why don't ya lay down till Evan brings up our supper?" Vin suggested. "It's been a long day."

"It has," Ezra agreed but hesitated. "I don't want to go to sleep yet and I am afraid that if I lay down I will. I think I would rather sit in one of the chairs in front of the fire for now."

"Go ahead and get settled. I'll be out to lite that fire when I'm done here," Vin said. He had hung his hat on the post at the foot of the bed and was squatting in front of the stove, with the door open, coaxing the kindling into fire. 

Ezra chuckled softly, stopping at Vin's side for a moment to trail his fingers through Vin's hair. "Lately it seems you are always lighting my fires," he teased.

"I like getting' ya all hot an' bothered," Vin teased back, "but we'd best not start that till we're done with visitors fer the night."

Ezra sighed, "Indeed. Evan will be up here shortly." He moved back towards the front room reaching the chair beside the fire just as a knock came at the door.

"Mister Winthrop?" a voice called.

Ezra frowned. That didn't sound like Evan. It sounded like a woman. He moved to the door, standing slightly to the side.

"Yes?" he called through the door.

"It's Sally Anne, the cook's helper. Evan said you wanted a supper plate."

"Yes, of course. One moment please." He looked over at Vin who had just come to the door that separated the sitting room from the bedroom.

Vin nodded at him and loosened his gun in the holster.

Ezra stepped to the door, opening it but keeping it between him and the person on the other side until he could see who it was. Seeing only a petite young woman, with dark hair, he stepped back and let her in.

She stepped into the room and turned to look at him, "Oh, you're hurt! Where would you like me to put this."

Vin hurried over to her. "I got it, ma'am," he said taking the tray from her and sitting it on the table. "We thought that Evan was bringing it."

"He's getting the water for your bath," she said smiling at him.

"Ethan's bath," Vin corrected. "He got banged up some. Doc told him to soak ever night before bed and drink willow bark tea ta help him rest. Could ya bring us up an extra pitcher of water so as we can make his tea?"

"Of course I can. I see now why Evan said to bring you the stew instead of the ham. It'd be hard to cut the ham slices up with just one hand. Evan will be here in just a minute, and I'll be right back with the pitcher of water. Do you want me to close the door or just leave it open for him?"

"Just leave it open," Ezra told her. 

Just as she stepped into the hall, Evan appeared at the door, with two tin pails of hot water. A teen-aged boy followed him with two more steaming pails.

"We'll go ahead and pour these in the tub then bring up four more. You can sit them on the stove, so they'll stay hot while you eat," Evan told them.

Sally Anne returned quickly with the extra pitcher of water. After sitting it on the sideboard, she moved to the table and quickly removed the dishes from the tray and laid them out on the table, arranging the knives, forks and spoons along with a couple of cups of coffee. She sat the coffee pot in the center of the table. 

By the time that she was done, Evan and the boy had brought up the other four pails of water.

Ezra handed the boy a dime and said, "Thank you for helping Evan bring up my bath water, young man. Whom should I ask for should I need farther assistance?"

The boy smiled shyly, "I'm Bobby, Evan's my big brother."

"Ah, no wonder you are such a fine young man. It clearly runs in the family."

He turned to Sally Anne, "Thank you as well, my dear," he said, slipping a quarter into her hand, knowing that it was a day's wages for her.

She looked at the quarter in surprise and gave him a blinding smile, "Thank you, sir!"

When they were gone and the door locked behind them, and Vin and Ezra had sat down to eat, Vin said, "Expanding yer network?"

"Most likely. Between the three of them, they probably see everyone that comes through this hotel. Evan is quick on the uptake as you saw from his backing me up that I was Ethan Winthrop. He can definitely read and write, even if the other two can't. I doubt that he would have a problem, passing on the comings and goings of the people here, especially if I offer him a small incentive to do so."

"Ya already got half of Red Bluff writing ya. Now yer working on Black Rock, huh?" Vin teased.

Ezra chuckled, "Oh, I already have several people here that I correspond with. Mayor Hinkley, Sheriff Monroe, and Mister Thorne, the editor of the Black Rock Bugle."

"Them's the important people in town. If ya got them, why do ya need Evan, Bobby and Sally Anne."

"Different points of view. The Mayor will tell me who the people are that are important from a financial and political point of view. The Sheriff will focus on those who break or skirt the law. The newspaperman focuses on events. Evan, Bobby and Sally Anne will tell me how these people treat the little people in town and that is a very important point of view. It tells me what the people are really like. My grandmother was a very wise woman. She told me to always pay attention to how people treat people that have no money, or power, or influence. She said that that will tell you what they are really like. Many people will be polite to and curry favor with someone in power, someone that has money or influence, someone that can help or hinder their ambitions or fulfill their desires. They will act pious before the preacher, law abiding before a sheriff or judge and and well-mannered and proper before the important people in town, etc."

"But most of'em won't waste their time being nice to them that can't do anything for 'em."

"Exactly. That is why the upper crust, so to speak, often gets blindsided by people that are perfectly nice to them, right up until they have gotten what they wanted. Once they no longer need the other person, they show their true colors."

"I've met a few folks like that," Vin said.

"We all have. Believe me, Vin, even someone like myself who has been taught how to take other people in, can get taken in by someone else. It's like with gunfighters. There is always someone out there that is just a little faster or better. A lot of survival is just a matter of avoiding the ones that are faster or better."

"Like ya not playing any of the Mavericks when ya ain't got a lot of money cause you know that ya can't always win against them."

"Exactly," Ezra said with a smile.

"But if one of them showed up at Bitter Creek you'd still play?"

"Yes. I will just need to be on top of my game." He sighed and rubbed his arm. "Fortunately, that game is still far enough away that this should no longer be an issue."

"Speakin' of games, ya wanna tell me about Harken? I don't recall him."

"You weren't there. I met him in Bristol when Travis sent us to pick up the Montcliff and Bodine boys. Chris sent me in ahead, as he often does to listen to the gossip and find out if there was likely to be an attempt to free the prisoners that we are assigned to escort. I went in then Buck followed shortly after. Buck was to get friendly with the working girls as he does and listen to them. I settled myself in one of the saloons and set up a game. Harken joined one of the games. He has a rather large ranch just north of Bristol."

"He cause ya trouble?"

"Not particularly. He did however lose just over seven hundred dollars to me."

"Ya don't usually win that much when yer workin' for info."

"No, I do not… usually. However, it was as if Harken could not win and he would not quit. He only left the table when I closed out the game and left myself." He shook his head. "It's ironic in a way. That was actually the beginning of the turn in my fortunes at the tables. When we went to Bristol I had just over a hundred dollars to my name. That was Thanksgiving week. Between then and New Year's, I won enough that when we decided to help Inez I had just over two thousand dollars in my boot." 

"But ya don't like him." It was a statement not a question.

"I do not. He could not keep his hands off the hostesses. He was crude, rude and lewd. He may be wealthy, he may dress well, and he may speak well, but he is no gentleman. He is a bounder and a cad… and he may be a cheat as well."

"Iff'n he insists on a game, I'll watch him real close. I'll give ya the signal if I see him cheatin'."

"Thank you, Darling," Ezra said, stifling a yawn.

"Reckon we need to finish up and get you in that tub, then to bed."

Ezra nodded, "Would you mind dealing with the leftovers?"

"Ya know I don't. Let me get ya a cup of the willow bark tea Nate sent along then ya can just go and sit in one'a them nice chairs in the bedroom. I'll be right behind ya ta help with the sling an' all."

Ezra had finished the tea and started to dose off sitting in the chair by the time Vin came in. He roused when Vin said, "I set the tray with the dishes outside the door. Sally said ta do that an' someone'd get it."

Ezra blinked sleepily at him.

"Can ya stand up for me? Let me get that sling off'a ya."

"Okay," Ezra stood and let Vin take off the sling.

Vin lay the sling aside then asked, "Ya wanna try moving it? Nate says ya need to work it real gentle like or it'll stiffen up real bad."

"I know. That's part of why I hate the sling. I'd rather keep the joint mobile." He grimaced as he tried to lift the arm.

Vin stepped closer, "Here let me help ya." 

He took hold of Ezra's arm at the elbow and the wrist and slowly and carefully moved the arm. First out from Ezra's side then he straightened the arm and slowly moved it in a small circle.

"That help?" he asked.

"Yes, let me try on my own now," Ezra returned and when Vin released his arm he slow rotated it, straight out in front of him then to the side before letting it fall back to his side.

"I still can't raise it above shoulder height. I need to try."

"How about you get it shoulder high an' I push it on up slow like till ya say stop."

Ezra nodded. "Let's try raising it to the front first."

Vin waited until Ezra had his hand shoulder high straight out in front of him then reached up and started to push it just a little bit farther.

Ezra grunted in pain and Vin stopped immediately. 

"Ya wanna stop?"

"No, just give me a minute. Put your other hand on the back of my shoulder, press down firmly but gently and then try to raise my arm higher."

He continued to wince as Vin moved the arm, raising it almost straight up. "Good," he said. "Now slowly, let it back down to shoulder height then raise it again."

Vin repeated the motion twice more before Ezra said, "That's enough for now. We'll try again after I've soaked in the tub for a while."

"Want me ta rub it down with the liniment before you get in the tub."

"Yes. That helped last night."

They didn't talk much more as Vin helped him finish undressing and get into the tub. Once Ezra was in the tub soaking, Vin went back out into the sitting room to bank the fire there. He returned to the bedroom and opened up Ezra's carpetbag and took out his night shirt, laying it on the bed, working in comfortable silence. 

Going back out into the sitting room again, he wedged a chair under the knob of the door to the hall and slid one of the wing-back chairs in front of each of the two windows. Returning to the bedroom he locked the bedroom door and put another chair under that doorknob as well.

He pulled another chair over to sit beside the tub where Ezra was soaking. "I done secured the room. Ain't nobody getting' in here without givin' us warnin'."

Ezra nodded, without opening his eyes. 

Vin leaned over and kissed him softly. 

Ezra kissed him back, still not opening his eyes, totally relaxed.

After a long few minutes of exchanging kisses, Vin sat up, to ease his back from leaning over the tub. 

Ezra sighed softly and asked, "What about the windows in here?" 

"Ain't but two. This is a corner room. I checked outside the windows 'fore I lit the fire in here. We're on the third floor an' ain't no way fer a body ta get up the wall to us."

"Good," Ezra said sitting up and opening his eyes. "Help me out."

"Water ain't cold yet," Vin said.

"No, it is not. In fact it should be hot enough still for you to soak your back a bit before you come to bed, and do not try to tell me that it isn't bothering you. We rode all day in the cold. You are probably hurting almost as badly as I am. Help me get ready for bed, then you can strip down, let me rub some of the liniment into your back and soak for a while yourself."

Vin looked askance at his arm.

"I can do it one handed if necessary, but the arm is moving much more easily at the moment. By the time you get the liniment rubbed on it again, I should be able to rub the liniment on your back with no problem."

Vin studied him a long moment then nodded, "Long as ya don't over work that arm."

"I won't. Now, help me out of this tub," Ezra ordered.

Vin grinned and chuckled, "Yes, sir, Sir."

He helped Ezra to stand in the tub, steadying him as he stepped out. He dried Ezra off with the thick towels that the hotel provided then rubbed more liniment into the shoulder. 

Ezra worked his shoulder a bit more showing Vin that the soak and the liniment had helped as he was able to raise it higher on his own than he had before.

Vin again helped him raise the arm higher than he was able to on his own, getting it nearly straight up from the front. He didn't manage to raise it as high straight out to the side as he was able to raise it towards the front.

He sighed again and said, "It always takes longer for me to be able to raise it out to the side. This is good for only the day after it was injured."

"Bruising looks bad." Vin observed.

"That too will take time. It will be weeks before it fades completely. I will have full range of motion back before it disappears."

"How long till it's good as new?" Vin asked ghosting his fingers across the massive bruising that surrounded Ezra's shoulder joint and spread down his arm.

Ezra looked at him, reaching up to take his hand with his right hand and draw it to his lips to kiss before saying, seriously, "It will never be as good as new, Vin. Every time that I injure it, I lose just a little bit of strength, speed and accuracy. It is one of the reasons for trying to move away not just from peacekeeping, but from gambling as well. Both require you to be able to defend yourself. If I continue to damage my shoulder, I will eventually lose the use of that arm."

Vin swallowed hard, "Ez," he said, his eyes filled with concern.

"It will be fine, this time, Vin, but it is one more reason to change the way that I live, to settle down and move on to a less dangerous life."

"All right," Vin said, "but ya'll tell me when it starts to get bad, won’t ya?"

Ezra stepped close, leaning into him, "I will tell you, Darling. I would never keep anything that important from you. That is why I told you this now, so that you would know, so that we can plan."

Vin wrapped his arms around Ezra, "I love ya. Don't never wanna lose ya."

"I know. I love you, as well, Vin and I never want to lose you either." He smiled at Vin and kissed him before saying, "Now, help me get my nightshirt on and into bed."

Once Ezra was ready for bed he sat down on the edge of the bed, saying, "Now, hand me that bottle of liniment and get out of those clothes, sir."

By the time that Vin came to bed, Ezra was dosing, laying on his right side. Vin nudged him, "Move over. Let me in front. That way ya can use me ta prop yer arm on."

Ezra murmured quietly but shifted back. As soon as Vin was settled he lay his injured arm across Vin and giving a small sigh of contentment, pressed a kiss to Vin's back, "Night, love."

"G'night, Querido," Vin murmured back, smiling to himself as he used the word that Ezra had taught him meant 'Darling' in Spanish.

TBC


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vin and Ezra arrive in Black Rock where they have a run-in with a man that Ezra played poker with under the alias of Ethan Winthrop.
> 
> We are introduced to more of Ezra's network.
> 
> On their return to Four Corners Ezra and Vin make love to Inez for the first time.
> 
> Warning: Original Character Death.

******  
Saturday January 14, 1871  
*******  
Vin woke well before sunrise to find that they had shifted during the night so that he was now lying on his back with Ezra's head on his shoulder. Ezra's injured arm lay across his chest and one of Ezra's legs was thrown over both of his.

He sighed and pressed a kiss to the top of Ezra's head.

Ezra stirred and gave a quiet sigh, stroking his hand down Vin's side.

"Hate ta bother ya, Ez but I gotta get up. Need the outhouse."

Ezra sighed again but moved his leg and rolled over on his back lifting his head so that Vin could move his arm out from under it.

"Are you coming back to bed?" Ezra asked sleepily.

"Thought I'd go check on the horses, 'n take a walk around town," Vin told him. "Ya go on back to sleep. I'll lock the door behind me."

"Alright," Ezra said and settled back down, pulling the pillow that Vin had been using over so that he could prop his arm on it.

Vin dressed quickly. He came back over to the bed and leaned over, stroking his hand over Ezra's hair and bending to give him a soft kiss before saying, "I'll be back a bit after sunup. Ya wanna eat in the dinin' room or ya want me ta bring us up a couple of plates?"

"Dining room, I think," Ezra said. "Mayor Hinkley usually eats breakfast here. I would like to speak to him about a game."

"Alright then. Be back in a while." Vin kissed him again before heading out.

By the time that the sun was up, and Vin had returned to the room, Ezra was up and dressed. He wore pinstriped black pants and a snow white shirt with a ruffled bib. His black broadcloth jacket lay ready on the bed along with his hat. He had brightened the conservative dark suit with a red vest shot through with gold threads. He wore his gold pocket watch and a stickpin with a large garnet set in gold through his cravat with matching cufflinks and his big garnet ring. He wore all three of his guns and his boots were shined to a soft gloss.

Vin frowned at him. "Did ya shine those boots with that bad arm a' yers?"

Ezra shook his head and chuckled softly. "I did not. The Misters Kindle stopped by to see if we needed anything and young Bobby shined my boots. Evan was on his way to bed and wanted to let me know that all of the staff know to refer to me as Mister Ethan Winthrop."

"Huh," Vin said, "wonder who all they done told? I saw Monroe and he already knew."

"Really?"

"Yep, asked me how yer arm was an' iff'n Ethan was gonna be up for a game tonight. Made mention of a game that Hinkley and Billingham are planning." 

Ezra smiled. "Then it would appear that Mayor Hinkley will be expecting me to make an appearance."

"Reckon he's in on it?"

"I do believe that the elder Mister Kindle may have passed the word considerably farther than just the hotel staff." He grinned, "Shall we go down to the dining room and test that theory?"

*******

Ezra was still smiling when they entered the dining room to find not only Mayor Hinkley, Councilman Billingham and Sheriff Monroe, but two more members of the city council seated at a large dining table set off to itself in an alcove of the room. 

Monroe stood up as they stood looking around and called, "Vin! Ethan! Over here."

Vin and Ezra exchanged looks and grins then made their way to the table, stopping a waitress along the way and telling her to bring them the breakfast special to the Mayor's table.

She smiled and nodded, saying, "Yes, Mister Winthrop."

As they took two of the empty seats, Hinkley leaned close to Ezra and said, "Hear tale that Harken's got it in for you. He's boasting how he's going to win back the money you 'took him for', over to Bristol a while back and then some. His words, not mine."

He grinned, and patted Ezra on his good shoulder, saying, "Don't you go to worrying on it. We've already invited him to the game tonight. Figured we'd play tournament rules. Thought we'd let you set the buy-in."

Ezra regarded him a minute before saying, "I do appreciate that, but I have to wonder why you are doing it."

Ian Billingham snorted, "You've only met him the once, right?"

"Indeed," Ezra said with a nod.

"We've been putting up with the arrogant ass for nigh on ten years. There's not one of us at this table that he hasn't shafted at least once and not just at the poker table. He's bad to make a deal then find some way to take advantage of whoever he's dealing with."

Monroe gave a nod, "He don't do anything that's strictly illegal, but it's always just skirting the law."

"Just how high are you willing to go for the buy-in?" Ezra asked.

"How high can you go?" Hinkley returned.

"I have just over thirty-nine hundred-fifty dollars on me," Ezra told him. "Perhaps we could set the buy-in at thirty-five hundred?"

Hinkley looked around the table. 

Billingham and the other two councilmen nodded. 

Monroe shrugged, "Too rich for my blood, but don't let that stop you."

"If we are playing tournament rules, it would not be unusual for us to employ a dealer," Ezra said thoughtfully, "Perhaps you could fill that role, Sheriff?"

Monroe shook his head, "I'd rather just keep an eye on the game. With me'n my deputies watching Harken can't try ta say yer cheating. Rosemary over to the Ace's High would be a much better dealer. She's most as good with a deck as you are."

They fell silent as the waitress brought Vin and Ezra's breakfast then resumed talking after she moved off.

"Gentlemen," Ezra leaned forwards over the table and spoke quietly enough that his voice would not carry to the other tables, "are you suggesting that we manipulate the outcome of the game?"

"Maybe," Billingham said equally quietly.

"Well," Monroe said standing up, "seeing as how I'm finished with my breakfast might be best if I head on over to the jail and let you gentlemen discuss this in private."

When he was gone Ezra said, "So…?"

"We weren't figuring on actually cheating," Hinkley said. "Didn't figure that you'd need any help to win. You've won four of the last five games you set in on with us."

"Then what?"

"We want to see Harken get his butt kicked," Billingham said. "We figure you can do it, but the thing is that we don't really want to lose our money to get it done."

"So, we were thinking, we originally meant to have a thousand dollar buy in. How about whoever wins the tourney, keeps Harken's stake, his own stake and one thousand dollars from each of the others and we get the rest of our stakes back."

Ezra looked around the table, "You're all agreed to this?"

"Yes," Hinkley said, while the others nodded.

Ezra bit his lip in thought until Vin nudged him.

"Worst case?" he asked.

"I lose my stake, if by some miracle Harken should win," Ezra said carefully.

"Best case?"

"We go home seventy-five hundred dollars richer."

"So, just like any other tourney, ain't it?" Vin asked.

"Money wise, yes, however, should I win, there is the fact that Harken is unlikely to take losing thirty-five hundred dollars well. He's already looking for a rematch over just seven hundred dollars."

Hinkley and the others exchanged looks. "We'll pass the word to everyone in town not to let on that you're anyone other than Ethan Winthrop and we'll make sure that he doesn't follow you home. If necessary, Monroe can lock him up till Monday morning."

"On what grounds?" Ezra asked.

"Harken drinks. Has at every game he's played in. If he causes a scene about losing, Monroe can lock him up for drunk and disorderly. He's done it before."

Ezra sighed, "If I do not win, I'd still rather not go home without anything. We have plans for the money that I intended to win this weekend."

Vin shrugged, "Ya got better'n thirty-nine hundred on ya, take the extra and set up to play somewhere till time for the tourney. That way even if you lose the thirty-five, ya still ain't broke."

"If I lose the thirty-five hundred, Inez may just shoot me. It is not just us anymore, remember?" Ezra said.

"She ain't a gonna shoot ya, Ez," Vin said. "She knows that ya can't win every game.

Ezra nodded. "Hopefully. Very well, how does five o'clock this afternoon sound for the start of the game? he asked Hinkley.

"Seven would be better. Most of us have businesses to run and generally close at six," the Mayor said. "That would give us time to get supper before the game."

Ezra looked askance at the rest of the men at the table. 

Each nodded in turn.

Ezra nodded as well, "Seven this evening it is, gentlemen."

They finished eating and parted ways with Vin and Ezra heading for one of the saloons to get up a game and the other men heading out to open up their businesses.

*******

Shortly before five o'clock that afternoon, Vin and Ezra made their way over to the bank that Billingham managed and asked to see him.

"Ethan, Vin," Billingham greeted them, "Is there a problem?"

"Not at all. I have had a most lucrative afternoon and would like to know if you and your friends would consider raising the buy-in this afternoon to five or even six thousand dollars."

"You did that well?"

"Harken invited himself to the table and insisted on raising the stakes. He drove everyone else out of the game until it was just he and I playing. He is a deplorable player. He lost over sixteen hundred dollars to me before I closed down the table. With what else I won before he drove the other players away I now have just over six thousand dollars in hand. I told him that the reason that I was closing the table was that I am expected at the game with you and Mayor Hinkley at seven this evening."

"I see. Well, I know that the others would like to see Harken lose as much as possible. I doubt that we can go six thousand, even five thousand is a bit steep for us but as we'll be getting most of our money back if anyone other than Harken wins and it'll also put a crimp in Harken's finances, I think that we might could do that. I'll pass the word along and if the others are agreeable we'll set the buy-in at five thousand. We'll let Phillip announce the buy-in and the fact that we will be playing tournament rules. Hopefully Harken will want his chance to get his own back from you badly enough that he will agree."

"He's a arrogant ass," Vin bit out. "Tried to call Ez a cheat. Monroe was there and told him plain that Ez won fair and square. There was a whole bunch of people watchin' the game and they all agreed with Monroe."

Ezra nodded, saying thoughtfully, "I do not think that Harken is aware of just how much he is disliked by the people in this town. Nor does he realize just how willing they are to aid in seeing him taken down a notch."

"We're not the only ones that dislike him. His ranch is closer to Bristol than it is to here. We've had several families move here from there and he is the reason that most of them left Bristol."

Ezra nodded then said, "The fact that he does not live here is encouraging. He can't spend too much time away from his ranch unless he has someone very good to manage it for him."

Billingham snorted, "In the years that I've known him, he's gone through four foremen. None of them stay very long. Several of them have made it plain that they don't like him anymore than most of us do."

"Have they said why?" Ezra asked.

"He's cheap. A good foreman usually starts at forty a month and found. Most get a raise every year until they are making a hundred or so per month. He starts them at thirty and his cowhands at twenty. He normally fires all but three or four of the regular hands every winter and never keeps a foreman passed a two and a half or three years."

"That don't make no sense," Vin put in. "A smart rancher wants loyal hands that'll stay with him."

"No one's ever said he was smart," Billingham said. "The man would rather save a few dollars than build up a loyal crew."

"One would think that he might have learned better in ten years of ranching," Ezra said with a frown.

"He doesn't have much competition down around Bristol. He claims more range than anyone in the area. Most of the other ranches are much smaller and there are more farmers than ranchers," Billingham told them.

"Hummm," Ezra made a thoughtful sound.

"What're ya thinking?" Vin asked.

"Nothing in particular… yet," Ezra said, "just thinking about the situation around Bristol in general. It is supposed to be the next town that the railhead moves to."

He gave Billingham a speculative look then asked, "Would you know if Harken's land is deeded or just open range that he uses?"

"I'm pretty sure that the main ranch house, bunkhouse, stables and barns all sit on deeded land but most of his grazing land is free range, government land."

"And government land normally sells for ten cents an acre," Ezra said thoughtfully.

"Ya thinking on buying up his range land?" Vin asked.

"Possibly. I will need to visit the land office in Santa Fe first to see if he was at least smart enough to file on the water sources on the land. If he wasn't, if he just assumes that everyone accepts that the land is his, well… it would hardly be my fault that he did not actually buy the land that he is claiming," Ezra said with a shrug.

"I like the way you think," Billingham said with a smile, then went back to the original subject, "You give me an hour or so to check with the others and I'll get back to you about raising the buy-in for the game to five thousand. All right?"

"That will be fine. We are going to return to our room at the hotel. I will be there until suppertime at least and will most likely eat supper in the hotel dining room."

"It shouldn't take me that long to get together with the others and let you know if they are agreeable. How about I join you for supper in an hour or so?"

"That is agreeable," Ezra said.

"Just tell the waitress that the Mayor is expecting you at his table," Billingham told them.

*******

Back at the hotel, Vin and Ezra went directly up to their room. Once the door was closed and locked, they stripped off all their weapons hanging Ezra's Remington and Vin's mares leg on the bedposts in easy reach then lay down for a short nap.

Vin ran his fingers through Ezra's hair, and asked quietly, "Are you worried about the game?"

Ezra chuckled, quietly, "Certainly not. Worrying about things that have not occurred yet is a waste of time and energy. It does nothing but make one tired. Furthermore, one will never win anything if you do not believe that you will win. Confidence is an important facet of making a living at the tables, Vin, and I have been doing so for quite a few years now."

"Reckon it helps that you have played Harken before."

"Indeed. The man has more tells than Carter has Liver Pills."

"Liver Pills?" Vin asked.

"Carter's Little Liver Pills is a well-known patented medicine. They are advertised as a cure-all. Many, many people buy them therefore the company produces a great many of them. Ergo, the expression that means someone has a great many of something."

Vin chuckled. "Reckon that makes sense." He bent his head to press a kiss to the top of Ezra's head. "Ya best get on ta sleep now. Yer only gonna get about a half hour rest now if we're gonna have time to get supper before the game."

Ezra sighed and nodded against Vin's chest. A few minutes later his breathing evened out and he was asleep.

Vin lay awake, letting Ezra rest on him and keeping an eye on the clock.

It was six-ten when he nudged Ezra awake and they got up and dressed to go down to supper.  
Billingham and Hinkley were already at the table when they entered the dining room. The other two councilmen joined them shortly as well as Kyle Thorne the editor of the Black Rock Gazette.

"Will you be joining the game tonight, Mister Thorne?" Ezra asked.

"No. I'm just covering it for the paper. It isn't often that we get a high stakes game like the one planned for tonight. Phillip tells me that the buy-in is five thousand dollars each and that there will be six players. That is thirty-thousand dollars up for grabs."

Ezra raised an eyebrow at Hinkley, who then exchanged looks with the other four men who would be playing that night before giving Ezra a nod.

"Those stakes only apply should Mister Harken be joining us. If it is just the five of us, table stakes will be one thousand dollars each," Ezra told him.

"We'll still be playing tournament rules," Mayor Hinkley put in. "We all could use the practice before Bitter Creek next month."

"Are you all going?" Ezra asked.

"I am thinking that I will," Hinkley replied, "the chance at the pot that will be available there is too good to pass up and I can afford to risk the buy-in."

"Even if you lose tonight?" Thorne asked. 

"Hopefully," Hinkley said.

"And the rest of you?" Thorne asked.

"We haven't decided yet," Billingham said answering for the others.

"And you, Ethan?" Thorne asked, making sure to use the name Ezra was going by.

"I will definitely be there. In fact I will be placing a side bet on myself to win."

"I didn't think that it was allowed for the players to bet on the winner of the tournament," Thorne said.

Ezra chuckled, "It's not. However, Vin will not be playing. We are partners now, having just bought the saloon back home. He will place the bet for me."

"If you don't mind my asking, how much will you bet on yourself?" Thorne asked.

"That depends on how much cash in hand I have at the time of the tournament. Should Mister Haken join us tonight and I win the game, I intend to put back five thousand to bet on myself. Depending on the number of gamblers who show up for the tournament and the odds that are being given against me, I could easily win more from the side bet than from the tournament should I win the game, and I assure you gentlemen, I am going in it to win it."

Just then the dining room clock began to chime the half hour, and everyone began finishing up their supper and getting ready to walk down to the Aces High where the game would be held.

*******

At the Aces High, the five men took their places at the table on the raised platform. There were eight chairs at the table. 

Ezra took the one that put his back to the wall and let him directly face the room. Vin grabbed an extra chair and placed it so that he was behind Ezra, guarding his injured side.

Rosemary Birdwell, the owner of the Aces High, took the seat to Ezra's right and the rest settled into their seats leaving the one directly opposite Ezra for Harken, who had just entered the saloon. Leaving that seat for Harken meant that his back would be to the room.

Harken stomped up the steps to the platform and glared at Ezra as he yanked out the chair and sat down. "I still think you're cheating. That sling is a damned good place to hide cards." 

Ezra stood up and carefully slipped his arm out of the sling.

"Doc said for you to keep that on," Vin said, standing and coming to his side.

"The purpose of the sling is to keep me from using the arm. I can just as easily rest it on the table and use it to hold my cards while using my other hand to pick up and discard them. It's not like I'm going to be dealing," Ezra said calmly as he began to slide his jacket off his other arm. "Help me with this?" he requested.

Vin gave Harken a glare but stepped up to help Ezra slide the jacket off and take it from him. He practically snarled at the man when Ezra began to undo the shoulder holster with its Colt Conversion but took the weapon, laying it aside as well. Ezra's vest and shirt followed.

Everyone gasped at the sight of the extensive bruising surrounding Ezra's shoulder and trailing down his arm.

"Good Lord, Ethan! What happened?" Hinkley asked. "That looks awful. Are you sure that you are up to playing?"

Vin's scowl grew darker with every item Ezra removed. He gave Harken a vicious glare, snarling, "He dislocated his shoulder, saving Judge Travis' life."

"It's alright, Vin," Ezra said, laying a calming hand on Vin's shoulder, before turning to Harken, saying, "There, Mister Harken. I have nowhere to hide cards. Satisfied?" His voice was pleasant, but there was a hard look in his eyes.

"The rest of us certainly are," Mayor Hinkley said giving Harken an annoyed look, "if you are not, please feel free to walk away."

"I'll leave when I get my money back," Harken snarled.

"You'll have to beat us all to do that," Hinkley said. "As I have already explained to everyone, yourself included, Harken," he went on, deliberately not using the 'mister' before Harken's name, "we will be playing by tournament rules. Everyone plays until they either lose their stake or win everyone else's. No one will leave the table until the game ends unless all remaining players agree. Anyone who walks away before the game ends loses their buy-in. Miss Rosemary will be our dealer. No player will touch any cards other than their own. Hands remain above the table at all times. If you put a hand below the tabletop, you forfeit your buy-in. Is everyone clear on the rules?"

While Hinkley was talking, Vin helped Ezra put his shoulder holster back on with the Colt Conversion in it.

When Hinkley finished speaking, everyone gave their acceptance, although Harken did so with a scowl.

Sheriff Monroe stepped up on the platform and moved to stand in the corner behind the table to Ezra's left. Two of his deputies took the two front corners.

"My men and I are here to watch the game and insure fair play," Monroe said. "If everyone is ready, put your buy-in on the table. Miss Rosemary and I will count each player's money and issue chips. The cash will be placed in my custody until the end of the game." He held up a valise, saying, "As we verify your buy-in it will be placed in this and I will guard it until we have a winner."

Once everyone had placed their money on the table, the amount had been verified by both Monroe and Rosemary, and chips issued, play began.

Kyle Thorne, who ran the Black Rock Gazette, had joined them on the platform, leaning against the wall and taking notes in a small notebook that he had with him.

Hinkley won the first hand and Billingham the second. Ezra won the next three in a row and Harken's scowl deepened with each of Ezra's wins.

Harken won the next and smirked at Ezra. He began to play more aggressively, making large bets and eventually forcing the others out as they had to cover his bets or fold.

Since they had already agreed to let it come down to Harken and Ezra the rest were soon out of the game. 

Shortly before midnight, Ezra found himself with four twos, and more chips in front of him than Harken had. Quickly counting up the chips that Harken had in front of him, he counted out a matching amount and pushed it to the center of the table. "I raise eleven-thousand-five hundred dollars," he said, leaning back in his chair.

Harken's scowl darkened again. It had never really left his face during the course of the game. He looked at his hand and seeing that he had a full house decided to meet the bet. There weren't a lot of hands that could beat a full house and if he won then he would have twenty-three thousand to Winthrop's seven thousand, putting him in the best position that he had been in all night. He'd be able to buy the next hand by placing a bet that the other man couldn't meet.

He pushed all his chips to the center of the table. "Call," he said, grinning as he lay down the full house. "Aces over kings," he added with a satisfied smile.

"An excellent hand," Ezra said, "however, I do believe that although they may only be twos," he lay his cards on the table, "four of a kind beats a full house." 

"Son of a bitch!" roared Harken leaping to his feet and shoving the table hard into Ezra as he rose, toppling Ezra's chair as Harken went for his gun.

Time seemed to slow down as several things happened simultaneously. 

Even as his chair tipped backwards, Ezra pulled his Colt from the shoulder holster.

Harken's gun cleared leather.

Ezra fired and his bullet slammed into Harken's chest driving him backwards.

Vin came out of his chair and grabbed for the back of Ezra's chair, stopping it from hitting the floor just as Ezra fired again.

Harken's bullet went wide, grazing Monroe's arm as Monroe stepped forwards and drew his gun.

Ezra's second bullet hit Harken in the neck and blood erupted, spraying everywhere as the bullet tore through his carotid artery. 

Harken tipped backwards off the platform and ended up flat of his back on the floor of the saloon.

Time sped back up.

Rosemary climbed to her feet from where she had ducked behind the overturned table.

The crowd that had been watching the game had retreated quickly, only a few remained in the room, most notably, the others who had been in the game.

Vin lowered Ezra's chair to the floor and helped him up.

"Sheriff Monroe?" Ezra asked.

"I'm fine," Monroe stated. "Just a graze. He drew on you. Tried to pin you with the table so you couldn't defend yourself. There won't be any charges. I'll notify his wife. Make sure that she knows that he brought it on himself. You go on back to the hotel and get cleaned up."

Ezra looked around, "My shirt and jacket?" he asked Vin.

"Here," Vin said bringing it to him and holding it out.

"I've got blood all over me," Ezra said, shakily. "My things don't seem to have any on them." 

Vin shrugged, "I's sittin' on'm."

"You carry them. I… there's no need to get blood all over them. I'm alright to walk back to the hotel as I am."

"Ya sure? It's cold out."

"I'm sure. The hotel is only across the street and three doors down. I'll be fine."

"Okay, let's get you over there and in a hot bath."

He looked at Monroe.

"Go on, I'll bring the money over after the doc looks at my arm," the sheriff told them.

"Give it to Mister Billingham," Ezra said. "He can put it in the safe at the bank overnight." He looked up at Billingham, "If you would be so kind?" 

"Certainly," Billingham said. It would make it easier to redistribute the money as they had agreed without anyone else knowing about it.

*******

Evan was on duty when they returned to the hotel.

Vin stopped at the desk just long enough to ask him if he would send up water so they could bathe.

The young man gawked at the blood that splattered both men but didn't ask any questions.

Vin hung back a minute as Ezra moved on to the stairs. "Harken ain't gonna bother y'all no more. He drew on Ez and Ez had ta kill him. Sheriff saw it, so won't be no charges."

"I hate that anyone had to die but better him than Mister Standish," Evan said, firmly.

"My thoughts 'xactly," Vin agreed then asked, "Ya know anybody that can get blood outta our clothes?"

Evan nodded, "I'll send Molly up to pick everything up and take it down to Ole lady Markham. She can clean most anything. "Might charge ya extra for doing it tonight, late as it is but it'll be near impossible to get out once it dries. If Molly can get her up tonight, she can get it clean."

Vin gave him another nod, "Tell her that I'll pay her double her usual price iff'n she can get 'em clean. Ain't too worried 'bout my shirt but I love my jacket and Ez is particular 'bout alla his things." 

He went to Ezra where he stood waiting at the foot of the stairs and shadowed his partner up the stairs and into their room.

Once in the room Ezra sank into one of the straight chairs, not wanting to get blood on the nice, overstuffed arm chairs. "Lord, I hate having to kill someone," he said softly.

"Know ya do, Ez… but ya know that he woulda killed ya and not regretted it one little bit."

"Ah know, but still…." He let it trail off with a sigh, then added, "Monroe said that he had a wife."

"And we got Inez ta take care of. Her an' her baby."

"Monroe didn't say anything about Harken having children."

"Hopefull he didn't," Vin said quietly. He knelt beside Ezra and said, "Lean up so's I can get yer holster off."

Ezra obeyed silently, letting Vin remove the holster and the Colt in it.

Vin lay it on the sideboard along with Ezra's shirt, vest and jacket that Ezra had never put back on after the game. He poured some of the water from their pitcher into the bowl and dipped a rag in it. Returning to Ezra, he began to wipe away the worst of the blood, hoping to get most of it before it dried too bad. It would be a while before enough water would be heated for the tub.

Ezra remained silent and Vin didn't push him to talk. It always took some time for Ezra to regain his equilibrium after he had to kill someone. 

They all tended to shoot to wound whenever possible.

Vin left him to it and went into the bedroom coming back with one of the blankets, knowing that Ezra was chilled after walking from the saloon to the hotel without a shirt in the cold evening air.

He stopped next to Ezra and offered his arm, "Come on, let's move ya to the fire. Brung ya a blanket."

Ezra looked up at him a long moment then took his arm and stood up, letting Vin guide him to one of the armchairs. He let Vin drape the blanket around his shoulders before sitting down and wrapping it around himself.

He was dozing by the time that Evan and Bobby arrived with the water for his bath.

*******  
Sunday, January 15, 1871  
*******

It was just after sunup when Billingham arrived at their hotel room accompanied by Sheriff Monroe and Vin let them in.

"Ez is still asleep," he told them.

"I've brought his winnings," Billingham said, handing Vin the valise that Monroe had put the money in after they exchanged it for the chips at the beginning of the game the day before. "It's all there," he added, giving Vin a look that said that he had already removed the other men's money as agreed.

Vin gave him a nod. "I'll just put it in the bedroom. Time I was rousing Ez anyway, iffn we're gonna be back home on time."

Monroe nodded, saying, "The Mayor's downstairs having breakfast, thought we could all join him. I'm leaving right after to ride over to Bristol and inform Missus Harken of her husband's death. I thought I'd ride along with you two till the road splits off." 

"That would be agreeable," Ezra said from the bedroom door, "Give me a few minutes to make myself presentable and I will join you. You may go ahead to breakfast if you would like."

The two men nodded and left. 

Vin handed the valise to Ezra and he took it back into the bedroom, sitting it on the bed and opening it up to count it. A few minutes later he nodded and told Vin, "Fourteen thousand dollars, my buy-in and Harken's as agreed as well as one thousand from each of the others. With the thousand that I still have from the side game we now have fifteen thousand dollars. We'll put it in your saddlebags and give Sheriff Monroe his valise back."

Vin nodded and moved to get his saddlebags, transferring the money while Ezra quickly dressed for the day, foregoing his sling, and gathered up their things, clearing out the room so that they could check out and not need to return to the room after breakfast.

When they joined the others at the table, Vin ordered his usual large breakfast, but Ezra told the waitress, "Just coffee, my dear, and perhaps a biscuit and strawberry jam if you have it."

"We have it, I'll bring it right out," she assured him.

After breakfast, Hinkley and Billingham went to get ready for church and the other three men headed out to the stables to leave.

"Ezra!" Kyle Thorne, called stopping them as they walked by the newspaper office. "Could I possibly get you to make a statement about last night?"

Ezra stood for a moment then nodded, "It is always regrettable to have to shoot someone, even in self-defense. I would have preferred that Mister Harken had accepted his losses, as the other players had, rather than draw on me. Mister Harken knew that I frequently play in professional poker tournaments and was therefore an excellent player. I did everything that I could to stave off the type of reaction he had to losing, offering him the chance to withdraw from the game before we began play. When he refused the offer, I even played bare-chested and requested a professional and unbiased dealer for the game. Unfortunately, Mister Harken had an inflated opinion of his abilities as a poker player and had been drinking during the game leading to his equally unfortunate demise." He cocked his head at Thorne, "Did you get all of that?"

"Yes, and it is an excellent statement." Kyle turned to Monroe, "How about you?"

"I was a witness to the game, watching it from start to finish. Mister Harken came to the table in a belligerent mood and was drinking to excess. I can say for certain that his accusation that Mister Winthrop was cheating was false. I watched closely and no one cheated during the course of the game."

"So, we're going with Ethan Winthrop as Ezra's name?" Kyle asked.

"We are," Monroe said firmly. "That is the name he was playing under and given that Harken's death was self-defense, I see no reason to open that particular can of worms. Harken was shot in self-defense by Ethan Winthrop, attorney-at-law. That's my statement."

"Vin?" Thorne asked, "Do you have a statement?"

"Nothing ya can print, but if Harken had shot Ez, whether he killed him or not. I'd a' shot him dead." The hard look in his eyes and his grim expression made it clear that he meant it.

"I see. Well, perhaps it would be better that you don't make a statement. Mayor Hinkley and Mister Billingham have already given me quotes and they all agree with what Ezra and Sheriff Monroe have said. I was there as well and agree that the shooting was in self-defense. Should Judge Travis decide to hold an inquiry, we will all testify that you acted in self-defense."

Ezra sighed, "I will be discussing it with him when we return home," silently adding 'Hopefully it will not interfere with his acting as representative for Three Trees Investments. I don't know what we will do if he decides that it is a conflict of interest.'

*******  
Early afternoon,  
Sunday, January 15, 1871  
Four Corners  
*******

Chris was sitting on the church porch with Josiah, both of them watching the south road. Both men were aware that Vin and Ezra hadn't made any promises about what time they would get back except for being back before nightfall.

They both leaned forwards as they caught a glimpse of dust rising off the road beyond the rise just south of town. 

Chris rose and moved to the front of the porch, leaning against the post and watching to see who it was. He breathed a soft sigh of relief when he recognized Vin's old army hat and Ezra's flat brimmed riverboat gambler's hat.

The two men were walking their horses and swung down when they reached the church. 

Chris noted the solemn looks on their faces and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Ez, had ta shoot a fella," Vin said grimly. "It was self-defense. Sheriff was a witness. Still, Ez is a mite upset."

"How bad was he hurt?" Josiah asked.

"He is dead," Ezra said then at Josiah's disapproving look added. "It was him or me, Josiah. Would you have preferred that outcome?"

"No, of course not. I just hate to hear that anyone had to die."

"Some folks just won't let ya not kill them, 'siah," Vin said, his tone cold.

Josiah sighed, "I know."

As they led the horses towards the livery, Ezra said, "I need to talk to Travis. He may wish to hold an inquiry into the death."

"I'm going with ya," Vin told him firmly.

Chris reached for their horse's reins. "Travis is over at Mary's. You two go ahead. We'll put up the horses."

"Thank you, Chris," Ezra said as Vin grabbed their saddlebags.

"You're welcome," Chris replied, laying a hand on Ezra's shoulder in support.

Josiah patted his shoulder as well, murmuring, "We'll be over in a bit."

*******

They walked down passed the National Bank and turned into the alley there, walking behind the buildings to knock on Mary's kitchen door, knowing that the Clarion office would be closed and locked up.

Mary greeted them with a smile, "Vin, Ezra, you made good time. Chris didn't think that you would make it back much before dark."

"We got an early start, Miz Mary," Vin told her, "and rode straight through."

"Then you must be hungry. Let me fix you a plate."

"Perhaps later, Missus Travis. I need to speak to the judge. Is he here?"

"Yes, I'll just go get him. He's lying down upstairs. You two go on into the parlor, why don't you?"

"Thank you," Ezra said and led Vin into the only other room downstairs besides the kitchen and the newspaper office. He sat heavily on the sofa, but Vin remained standing although he dropped the saddlebags on the sofa next to Ezra.

"You can sit as well," Ezra said. "I doubt that Mary will mind the dust. She did offer for us to wait in the parlor."

"I know, just been in the saddle too long. Need to stretch a bit," Vin said as he paced back and forth in front of the sofa.

It was nearly a quarter hour before Travis came down the stairs, holding to the rail as he did so.

"Judge," Ezra rose to greet him, "are you all right?"

"I'm still stiff and sore from the incident the other day but nothing major. What did you need to see me about?"

"Black Rock is on your circuit, is it not?"

"You know it is," Travis said.

"Then we may have a conflict of interest."

"In what way?"

"I was forced to kill a man in Black Rock. Had I not, he would have killed me. There are more than sufficient witnesses to prove that it was self-defense, none-the-less an inquiry should be held to officially declare it so. The fact that you are the circuit judge and that I work for you, clearly indicates a conflict of interest- even if you were not the attorney of record for Three Trees Investments."

"That does appear to be the case, but why don't you tell me exactly what happened." 

Once Vin and Ezra had gone over the events of the previous night, Travis looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "You said that this man, Harken, lived near Bristol?"

"Yeah, he's got ranch down there," Vin told him.

"Bristol isn't on my circuit," Travis informed them. "Riley Jamison is the circuit judge over there. With Harken's ranch being there, it shouldn't be a problem to hold the inquiry there."

"What about the fact that I was using an alias at the game? Harken knew me by the name Ethan Winthrop, and we allowed him to continue to think that was my name." 

"You said that you first met him in Bristol where you were using the alias as part of your job, in order to ascertain if there was a likelihood of an attack on your fellow peacekeepers while they were escorting a group of prisoners back here for trial. Do you have a good reason for not correcting this when you met him again?"

"He called Ez 'Winthrop' in the hotel lobby when we first got there. It was clear ta see that he was holdin' a grudge cause Ez had beat him in Bristol back in November. Wanted a chance to get his money back. Ez put him off. Then when Ez was playing over to the Silver Dollar Saloon, he came in and pert near demanded to be let in on the game. Kept making big bets till he forced ever body else out then when he kept losing, he accused Ez of cheating. Sheriff Monroe was there and told him flat out that Ez hadn't cheated."

"He lost quite a bit of money at that game, just over sixteen hundred dollars," Ezra added. "When he joined the later game he was angry that we were playing tournament rules but refused to walk away, despite Mayor Hinkley's invitation for him to do so. We all felt that it would be better if he did not know who I actually was and where I lived."

Travis nodded, "That should be sufficient. Let me think about it for a while. I'll write Riley and get someone to take it to him and wait for a reply."

"Rafe Mosely's between jobs. He would most likely be happy to act as courier, for a few dollars," Ezra said. 

"I'll speak to him. You two get some rest."

"We will and thank you, sir, for your help," Ezra said.

As they turned to leave, Travis called after them, "You didn't say exactly how much you won."

"I won a total of eleven-thousand two-hundred dollars. Sixteen hundred from Harken at the afternoon game, six hundred from other players in that game, then another five thousand at the evening game. With the thirty-nine hundred fifty dollars that I took with me; I now have fifteen-thousand one-hundred-fifty dollars." He paused, "Perhaps we could meet in the saloon office after supper and discuss the possibilities that sum presents."

"That would be fine," Travis assured them. "Should I bring Mary with me?"

"If she wishes to come. I thought I might invite the rest of the seven as well. It would be best to inform them of the events in Black Rock. I am too tired to speak to them right now and I wish to talk to Inez first in any event."

"All right, then," Travis looked over to Mary and at her nod said, "We'll see you in the saloon office around eight tonight, if that is acceptable."

"We'd 'preciate it if ya could tell Chris and have him pass the word on to the others," Vin said.

"I'll do that," Travis said with a nod.

*******

Inez was waiting when they slipped in the back door of the saloon. She quickly moved to hug them both, first Ezra then Vin. "What is wrong?" she asked, seeing how solemn that they looked. "Did you lose the money?"

"No, darling," Ezra said, pulling her back into another hug and holding her close for a long moment. 

When he released her, she turned a questioning gaze on Vin.

"Ez had ta shoot a fella. Didn't have no choice. How about ya fix a couple of plates and we'll tell ya all about it while we eat. We didn't stop for lunch on the trail."

"Si. Would you like to eat in the office or out front."

"Office," Ezra said shortly. "The raised platform is almost exactly like the one in Black Rock where the incident took place. I would rather not have it as a reminder whilst we discuss the event."

Inez looked askance at Vin.

He sighed and said, "He's still upset about it. Ain't no doubt that it were self-defense but the Judge figures that there oughta be an inquiry to make it official like. He don't want it comin' back ta haunt us later."

Once they were settled in the office with plates and coffee for Vin and Ezra and just coffee for Inez, Ezra explained what had happened.

Inez gasped when they told her about Harken shoving the table into Ezra turning his chair over in an attempt to hinder him drawing his gun.

"Your shoulder! Did you injure it again?" she demanded.

"No, my dear. Vin managed to grab the back of my chair and keep me from hitting the floor hard. He could not stop it from falling but he did manage to insure that I did not reinjure my shoulder. Had I done so; I would most definitely be wearing my sling. Much as Mister Jackson thinks otherwise, I do know how to take care of myself. This is after all the fourth time the shoulder has been damaged, twice before I arrived here and now twice since I have been here."

"Is it still hurting you?" she asked.

"It is much better, still a bit stiff and sore but continued use of the liniment and more hot soaks in the tub should see it continuing to improve. It will be some time before I can lift heavy weight or move it too quickly, but it's not as if I will be chopping wood now, is it?"

Vin chuckled, "Naw, heavy liftin' and wood choppin' are my job or mine an' Mike's now. Where is he anyway?"

"Casey twisted her ankle Friday afternoon after you left, and Nathan won't let her walk on it. Missus Wells offered Michael a dollar to come out with JD and take care of all the stuff that Casey normally does until she is back on her feet. Nathan is supposed to go out there tomorrow to check on Casey. If the ankle is well enough for her to walk on it, he will bring Michael back with him."

"And if it is not?" Ezra asked.

"Then Michael will stay a few more days."

"We could ride out with Nate tomorrow," Vin said, "that way we'd at least get ta see Mike if he decides to stay a few more days." 

"That sounds agreeable," Ezra said, with a sigh. "I am going to lie down for a while before the meeting we have planned with Travis and the others." He hesitated, looking first at Vin then Inez, "Would you come lie down with me, both of you?"

"Course we will, won't we 'Nez?" Vin said as they all pushed back their chairs and stood.

"Si. I have missed you both so much and to know that you were nearly killed… yes I wish to be with you, both of you."

"Thank you, both," Ezra said softly, smiling at Inez as she came to hug him again.

"Just leave the dishes on the table, 'Nez. I'll come down and help ya wash'em later."

She nodded and they went out into the hall and up the stairs, Inez tucked under Ezra's good arm and Vin following close behind with both pairs of saddlebags. When they arrived in Ezra room, Vin dropped the saddlebags by the wardrobe and turned back to lock the door, while Inez led Ezra to the rocking chair and sat him down, kneeling to remove his boots for him.

Vin took off his own boots and stripped off his gunbelt, hanging it on the bedpost where it would be close at hand, while Inez helped Ezra out of his jacket. Vin came to help with getting all his guns off since he was wearing all three again.

Once Ezra was down to his shirt, pants and socks, Inez slipped off her shoes and turned down the bed. She and Vin stood beside the bed waiting patiently while Ezra got settled in the center of the bed before Vin slipped in behind Ezra, spooning him and she slipped in front so that Ezra could spoon her and use her as a prop for his arm.

Vin pulled the covers up over them all. 

Ezra sighed contentedly and pressed a kiss to the back of Inez's neck.

She entwined her arm with his and gave his hand a small squeeze, making him smile and press another kiss to her neck. 

Vin wrapped an arm around Ezra's waist and snuggled close behind him, kissing the nape of his neck. 

Curled together, the three of them drifted off to sleep.

*******

Several hours later, Inez awoke with Ezra's arm around her. His hand had moved in his sleep to cup her breast.  
The realization made her gasp and the soft sound awoke Ezra. 

He shifted, and started to withdraw his hand an apology already begun, "Inez, I am—"

"No," she quickly told him, turning to look at him over her shoulder, "do not apologize. I… I like it when you touch me so."

She turned over on her back so that she could see his face as she lay her hand on top of his and pressed it slightly to her breast.

Her movement was enough to wake Vin as well. He tightened his arm around Ezra's waist and murmured, "Ez? Ever thing all right?"

"I… believe so, Vin," Ezra said quietly, "Inez are you sure? You know that Vin and I come as a set…."

"Si, I know… and I know that the church would not approve but…" she blushed deeply, eyes suddenly downcast, "but I care deeply for you, for you both. I could never choose between you." She looked up at him, eyes soft and pleading, "Please, if it is alright with you… I would like to be your woman, yours and Vin's as well." 

"Vin?" Ezra asked.

"Ya know that I love you. Ez. Nothing's ever gonna change that but I care 'bout 'Nez, too, and we done committed to making a life with her, treatin' her with all the care and respect due a wife. I got no problem with that including the marriage bed."

Ezra gave a slight nod of his head, "I love you as well, Vin, and nothing will ever change that for me also. However, I too care deeply for our dear Inez and would not mind our commitment to her including the marriage bed." He shifted to lean over Inez, smiling, "I assure you, darling that we will always treat you with the utmost love, respect, commitment, care, and consideration. So long as you desire that we three be a triad, there will be no other woman for either of us."

Vin leaned up over Ezra's shoulder, "What he said, 'Nez. We won't ever mistreat ya. Ya got my word as a Tanner on that. We'll take care of you like we take care of each other."

"Yes," Ezra agreed, "You will always be treated as an equal in this relationship. I promise you that we will never disregard your thoughts or feelings." He moved his hand up from her breast to cup her chin, "We love you, darling, and if you are sure that you want this with us, we would be delighted to make love to you."

Rather than reply with words, Inez reached up and boldly pulled the drawstring that kept her peasant blouse closed, letting it fall open, exposing her breasts to their gaze. She took Ezra's hand and pressed it to her bare breast.

He smiled and rubbed his thumb across her nipple which hardened instantly. His smile widened at the reaction, his gold tooth gleaming.

Vin rolled off the other side of the bed, coming to lean over Inez on her side of the bed. He bent to kiss her deep and tender, then looked up at Ezra as he slipped his arms under her knees and shoulders. "Slide over, Ez. Let me move her over so's I can get in here."

Ezra retreated to the side of the bed that Vin had vacated and watched as Vin lifted Inez and moved her over so that he could slide in on that side of her.

When they were settled, Ezra shifted close again and bent his head to lave her nipple with his tongue, smiling at the soft moan that the action drew from Inez. He lifted his head and Vin leaned over Inez to kiss him.

The kiss was slow and languid, and Inez watched with a heated gaze as they continued to kiss across her, even as Ezra's hand moved across her belly then began to gather her skirt up, until his nimble fingers found the drawstring of her plain cotton knickers.

They broke their kiss and Vin bent his head to suckle the nipple on his side as Ezra watched with bated breath even as his hand found its way inside her knickers and a finger slipped into her slit.

She gasped and arched up wantonly, pushing herself against him, trying to rub her clit against his hand.

He grinned and using the juices from her pussy to slick his fingers, gently began to rub circles around her clit.

She reached for him, trying to pull him down so that she could kiss him while Vin continued to fondle and suckle her nipples.

With a wicked grin, and a soft chuckle, Ezra shifted so that he could kiss her, without disturbing Vin's attention to her breasts. He angled his hand so that he could push three fingers deep inside her, curving them up to hit a spot that sparked fire in her belly as he used his thumb to continue rubbing her clit.

She came so hard that she greyed out, sound fading as she shattered with pleasure.

When she came back to herself, her blouse had been pulled from her shoulders and rested around her waist in a bundle with her skirt. Her knickers were completely gone.

Vin stood beside the bed, stripping off his pants, his shirt already a puddle on the floor. He saw her looking at him and moved closer to the bed, his hand moving down to stroke his shaft. "Ya want this, angel?"

She could only stare at him, taking in the long legs, the narrow hips, the tapering waist and the broad shoulders. She licked her lips and nodded.

Ezra still had three fingers inside her, gently probing. She shuddered with the pleasure of it.

As Vin climbed on the bed and positioned himself between her spread thighs, Ezra withdrew his fingers and rolled off the other side of the bed.

She turned his head towards him, stretching out a hand to him.

He smiled, "I'm not going anywhere, darling, just removing my clothing."

He stood close to the side of the bed as he began unbuttoning his shirt, watching with a smile as Vin shifted to slide his cock inside her and she gasped at the stretch. 

"Vin's shaft is not quite so thick as mine," he told her, as he let his shirt fall to the floor and began undoing his pants as well.

She gasped again at the sight of his cock, which while not quite as long as Vin's was decidedly thicker. 

Then Vin began to thrust inside her, drawing her attention back to him. He leaned down and returned to kissing her breasts working his way up her throat to claim her mouth in a deep and hungry kiss.

Vin thrust vigorously for a moment then collapsed atop her with a groan, one that did not sound like pleasure.

"Vin?" Ezra's voice was concerned.

"My back," Vin gasped.

"Here, let me help you roll over," Ezra said moving to help Vin shift off of Inez. "If you wish to continue let Inez get on top," Ezra ordered.

"Yeah," Vin grunted, "Don't wanna stop just can't…" He groaned, as Ezra helped him rolloff Inez and turn over on his back beside her near the side of the bed where Ezra stood. Vin reached for his cock, stroking it, even as his lips tightened with pain.

Ezra ran a hand through Vin's hair, "It's alright, beloved. Do you want Inez to get on top or would you prefer that I take up where you left off?"

"I want her," Vin said, "could you…?"

"Of course," Ezra smiled. "Inez, darling have you ever been on top?"

"No," she whispered, embarrassedly.

"Then let me help you. Perhaps we could remove the rest of your clothing first?"

She nodded kneeling up on the bed.

Ezra reached over Vin and undoing the waistband of her skirt, pulled it and her blouse over her head.

She knew she should feel embarrassed or ashamed about being naked before two naked men but all she felt was freedom and excitement. She had been so close to coming again when Vin's back had seized on him, all she wanted was to have one of them, either one of them, back inside her.

Ezra bent over the side of the bed and stroked a hand through her hair, "Everything is going to be fine, darling. Straddle him. Place your entrance over his cock."

She did as he instructed, kneeling on the bed over Vin's groin, over his cock as Ezra climbed on the bed behind her, straddling Vin's legs. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and reached between her thighs to spread her entrance open.

"Guide Vin's cock to your opening," Ezra instructed her, "and slide down on it."

As Vin's cock once more filled her, Ezra moved his hands, one hand slipping slick fingers to caress her clit while the other rose to cup one of her breasts, gently rolling the nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

She moaned deeply.

"That's a good girl," Ezra murmured in her ear. "Pleasure yourself, darling. Move up and down, rotate your hips. You are so beautiful."

She barely knew which way to go, blindly she followed the murmured instructions, pleasure flooding her from every direction. The feel of Vin's hard cock, plunging into her as she rose and fell on it, Ezra's fingers rubbing circles on her clit, his other hand caressing and gently pinching her nipples, traveling back and forth between them as he murmured in her ear and kissed along her neck before suddenly nipping at her earlobe and pinching her nipple hard as he ordered her to come.

"Come for us, darling. Come, now!" Ezra demanded.

And she did, shuddering, twisting her hips and throwing her head back as her climax ripped through her. She opened her mouth to scream out her pleasure and felt Ezra's hand close over her mouth, muffling her cry.

She went limp in his arms, totally exhausted from the force of her climax. She was vaguely aware of Ezra wrapping his good arm around her and lifting her up so that Vin's now limp cock slipped from her and tipping them both over to lay on their sides, her close against Vin and Ezra close behind her.

He grunted when he hit the mattress and she knew on some abstract level that the impact had jarred his bad shoulder, but she was too lost in the haze of the aftermath of the best sex that she had ever had to really think about it. 

She had had no idea that sex could be that intensely pleasurable. The night that she had spent with Lord Summerland had been nothing compared to this.

She drifted away with a soft sigh, letting sleep reclaim her.

Ezra slipped his arm out from under Inez and slipped out of bed, moving to the wash stand unconcerned with his nudity. He poured water into the porcelain bowl there and dipped a small towel in it before moving back to the bed to wipe down Vin's groin, before turning Inez over onto her back and wiping between her legs as well.

As Ezra returned the towel to the washstand, rinsing it and hanging it back on the towel-bar to dry, Vin watched him with sleepy eyes. When Ezra moved back to the bed, straightening the covers from the foot of the bed where they had shoved them during their activity, and pulling them up to cover Vin, Vin said, quietly, "Yer still hard."

"It's alright. It will go down on its own in a bit. Go back to sleep," Ezra ordered, before circling around the bed and climbing in beside Inez, reaching down to pull the covers up over all of them, then laying down on his back.

"Okay," Vin murmured as he drifted back to sleep.

Ezra lay awake a few minutes longer, a smile on his face.

Now that Inez had admitted her feelings for the two of them and committed to them as they had to each other and to her, a feeling of peace came over him and he joined his lovers in sleep. 

TBC


End file.
